Vanessa's Match

Vanessa's Match
Judy Christenberry

To Vanessa Shaw nothing is more important than family, especially since her recent reunion with her long-lost brother and sisters. So when she's asked to counsel a troubled teen, she puts everything into restoring her charge's sense of security–while wondering, where is Lindy's half brother and new guardian, Richard Austin?Once he finds out what happened to his little sister, Richard is determined to make everything right. He works closely with Vanessa to achieve this, and the more time he spends with the therapist, the harder he falls for her. But Richard can't shake the feeling Vanessa isn't willing to forgive him for abandoning Lindy. Yet once he realizes Vanessa is the woman for him, Richard will stop at nothing to get her to change her mind about him–and consent to be his wife.

“Why wouldn’t my sister want us to get together and share life with her?” Rick asked

“Lindy is so young—she’s still just a child. What if she fears I may not care for her as much as I did, because I’m in love with you?” Vanessa replied.

“Are you?”

“Am I what?”

“In love with me?”

Vanessa felt her cheeks burn and she looked away. She wouldn’t answer his question. She couldn’t. Instead she took a different approach. “Rick, I’ve worked for four years on my advanced degree. I have six more months of work. Then I’ll be able to pursue a career I love.”

“Okay,” he said with a sigh. “Six months isn’t forever.” It just seems like forever when I want to marry you now!

Dear Reader,

We’ve come to the end of the CHILDREN OF TEXAS series. In the first four books Vanessa played a secondary role to her sisters’ and brother’s stories, and has been patiently waiting for her time in the sun.

As the youngest of the Barlow family, Vanessa had to grow up a bit before she was ready for her own story. In the meantime, she, along with Will and Vivian, looked for and found her other siblings. Each one was brought into the family and made to feel a part of it. The family has grown and babies have appeared.

Though Vanessa loves her siblings, and their babies even more, she has been lonesome at times because she didn’t have anyone special for herself. I wanted Vanessa to have her reward, but, as we all know, no reward really fills a void unless you work for it. I hope you’ll cheer on Vanessa through her struggles, and share in her happiness at the end.

It’s been a pleasure to bring you this family and all of its stories. I hope that you, too, have a family to share with. But remember, family doesn’t have to be of the same blood. Just reach out to those around you whom you love—and form your own family.

If you have any comments or questions, you can reach me at my Web site, www.judychristenberry.com.

Happy reading!

Vanessa’s Match

Judy Christenberry

www.millsandboon.co.uk (http://www.millsandboon.co.uk)

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Judy Christenberry has been writing romances for over fifteen years because she loves happy endings as much as her readers do. A former French teacher, Judy now devotes herself to writing full-time. She hopes readers have as much fun with her stories as she does. She spends her spare time reading, watching her favorite sports teams and keeping track of her two daughters. Judy lives in Texas.

Contents

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

Epilogue

Prologue

“I need your help.”

Even through the haze of sleep, Vanessa Shaw recognized the voice that woke her at—She focused with difficulty on the bedside clock. Two a.m. Why was Dr. Cavanaugh calling her now? He was the head of the Psychology Department and Vanessa’s supervisor in her quest for her doctorate of psychology. For him to phone in the middle of the night, she knew the matter must be urgent.

“Yes, Dr. Cavanaugh, what is it?” she asked, clutching the phone with one hand and rubbing her eyes with the other.

“Sorry to wake you, Vanessa, but I need you.”

“Of course. Anything I can do.” One didn’t say no to Dr. Cavanaugh, even at two a.m.

Her mentor took her at her word and, without pausing, launched into an explanation. “There’s a fifteen-year-old girl in the hospital right now having her stomach pumped. She attempted suicide following her mother’s death in a car accident. The family attorney called and asked me to supply someone to be with her when she awoke and to help her through this tragedy.” Not waiting for a comment, he continued. “You’re the most senior female in the program, and a very good student. I’ve seen your work with some desperate cases, so I immediately thought of you.”

Vanessa sat up. Surely he didn’t expect her to fill the role he’d described. “Thank you, sir, but—”

“She’s part of the Austin family.”

It was a name she recognized instantly. The Austins had donated millions to the university.