It Might Be You

Book 5: Harrisons

by Jennifer Gracen

Genres: Siblings; Women's Fiction; Contemporary Romance

Synopsis

A working class hero discovers his true family—and his true love—while saving a sick child in a romance that “will melt the most jaded of hearts” ( Kirkus). Miami police officer Nick Martell doesn’t hesitate to be a bone marrow donor for Myles Harrison, a sick child he’s never met. But once in the heart of the wealthy Harrison family, Nick learns a shocking truth—he is actually a Harrison himself, born of a secret affair. Though the blue-collar bachelor struggles to accept the elite clan as his own, he’s compelled to stay for the sake of helping Myles…and for the connection he feels for the child’s beautiful nurse. Amanda Kozlov never felt such a strong and sudden passion for a man before. But she just can’t let herself fall for a guy like Nick. His life as a cop is too dangerous and the wounds from his explosive family history are too fresh. Yet after watching Nick bond with Myles and experiencing tenderness in his arms, Amanda longs to take a chance on the only man with the power to shatter her heart. As drama swirls around them, only time will tell if they’re brave enough to give their love the future it deserves. . .

Release date: February 27, 2018

Publisher: Zebra Books

Print pages: 401

Sample

Nick Martell pulled up in front of his parents’ house and cut the ignition. The engine on his sleek black Ford Mustang GT quieted, leaving him in silence to gather his thoughts.

He had so much to tell his family, he didn’t know where to start. A gentle breeze blew, making the long leaves of the palm trees overhead sway against the soft blue of the evening sky. He let his head fall back against the seat and drew a few long, deep breaths as he looked at the house.

His mom had planted new flowers in the bigger pot by the front door, a bright hot pink. Nick grinned; it was her favorite color and always reminded him of her. He’d grown up in a modest three-bedroom home on a quiet street in a decent suburb, only five miles from the center of Miami. His father had been on the Miami police force for twenty-five years before retiring, devoted to the job and to his family. Nick had worshipped his dad as a kid, and aspired to be like him as a young adult, which was ultimately why he’d become a cop himself five years before. Five years of hard work . . . and now, some payoff. He figured his dad would be pretty proud of him tonight, and the elation of that made Nick’s grin widen.

Lew Martell met Maria Sanchez when Nick was three years old. Lew married Maria when Nick was four, and legally adopted Nick as his own when he was five. Though they didn’t share blood, as far as Nick was concerned, Lew was his father in every way, and he knew to the core of his soul that Lew felt the same way. Even after a few years and two little sisters, he’d never been made to feel anything other than one hundred percent part of a family.

Now, as he walked up the front steps and unlocked the door to his parents’ house, it was his father he couldn’t wait to see the most. He knew his mom would be proud, but his dad would burst with it.

“Hello?” Nick called out as he stepped into the living room. The spicy aroma of his mother’s cooking wafted in the air, enticing and comforting him at the same time.

“Ah!” His mother came in, rushing to hug him. She leaned back to look up into his face and held his cheeks. “You look good, mijo! You need a shave, but your eyes are smiling.”

“I’m twenty-nine, Ma,” he grumbled, teasing back. “You ever gonna stop telling me when I need to clean up?”

“No.”

“I don’t shave on my days off. I take a break. I’ve told you this.”

She shrugged and made a disdainful face that clearly expressed her thoughts.

He just chuckled. Her dry sass was one of the things he loved most about her.

“So what’s the big news?” she asked, her features brightening again. “And I’m glad you asked for a family dinner to share it, so I get to see you.”

Nick rolled his eyes. He faithfully came for a family dinner every other Sunday. “Like you don’t see me. I come by!”

“Not enough.”

He groaned and nudged her gently with his elbow. “Admit it—you’re just happy to have an excuse to cook something special.”

“You said you had really big news, so yeah . . . I might’ve made one of your very favorites.”

Nick inhaled deeply, trying to figure out what she’d made by what he smelled. A slow smile spread across his face. “Ahhh. You made carne frita con cebolla for me, didn’t you?”

“Yes.” Maria smiled and it lit up her pretty face. “Anyway, it’d been a while since I made it, so why not?”

He was six feet tall, and she was a petite five-foot-two, so he bent to kiss her cheek. “You’re too good to me.”

“Don’t you forget it.” She was clearly pleased that she’d pleased him. “So c’mon in. Your dad’s out in the yard and your sisters are in their rooms. I’ll get them out.”

“Actually . . .” Nick rubbed the back of his neck. “You know what? Maybe it’d be good to just talk to you and Dad first. Part of the news is great, but part is . . . a little . . . well, they might not fully understand. So maybe you’ll help me figure out a way to tell them that won’t . . . upset them. I dunno.”

Maria stilled at that, scrutinizing her son for a few seconds before saying, “I’ll get your father.”

Five minutes later, Maria and Lew sat together on the couch as Nick pulled over the armchair to sit directly opposite them. He took a deep breath, then ran his hands through his thick hair and over his scruffy jaw before starting.

“The best news first,” he said, unable to keep from smiling. “I got the promotion. I’m going to be an investigator.”

Lew let out a loud whoop and jumped to his feet. Maria’s eyes shone with tears of pride. Nick laughed as his father pulled him up for a tight hug, warmed by delight.

Lew clapped him hard on the back, grasped him by the shoulders, then pulled back to look into Nick’s eyes as he said, “Goddamn, I’m so proud of you, son. I mean, I wanted this for you, but I know you wanted this for you. You worked hard, showed your mettle. You’ve been a damn good officer, but you’re just too smart not to . . . well, this is the right thing for you.” He clapped his son’s arms again, beaming with pride. “Good for you, Nick. Well done. Congratulations!”

“Thanks, Dad.” Nick’s throat felt thick, and he swallowed down the lump that had risen there. He’d known his dad would be proud, but this felt incredible.

“Mijo . . .” Maria stood and lifted her hands to cradle his face. “I’m so, so proud.”

“Thanks, Ma.” Nick knew she was happy, but also a little scared for him. That she knew being an investigator still meant dangerous work. That being the wife of a cop, and now the mother of a cop, meant she didn’t sleep well every night. When her arms wrapped around his waist and squeezed tight, he hugged her back until she was the one to let go.

“When do you start?” Lew asked.

Nick took another deep breath as he released his mother. “Well . . . that’s the other thing I need to tell you all about. Sit down. There’s more. It’s totally different, not about work.”

All three of them sat, and as soon as they did, Nick launched into it. “A few years ago, I wanna say three years ago? They had a bone marrow donor drive at the station. Because Jim Connelly’s nephew needed a donor.”

Lew nodded. “Sure, I’ve heard of those. It’s easy as pie, just a swab in your cheek, right?”

“Right,” Nick said. “So I did it, and truthfully, I never thought about it again. But I guess they keep your name on the national and international bone marrow registry after that, because, well . . . I got a call two weeks ago. It seems I’m a match for a kid who needs a bone marrow transplant. He’s got non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Twelve years old.”

Maria’s eyes flew wide as Lew’s brows furrowed.

“Really,” Lew said.

“That’s amazing,” Maria murmured.

“Yeah. So . . .” Nick blew out a breath. “How do I nutshell this? First the registry contacted me to tell me the news. I agreed to being tested further, went in, gave blood and all that. Earlier this week, they called to tell me that yes, I’m a strong, viable match. I agreed to go through with it right then.” He saw the worry creeping into his mother’s face as he talked. “Ma, I talked for a while with a rep from the registry. I learned a lot. It’s barely going to hurt. It’s outpatient surgery. So please stop looking so worried, okay?”

“You’re my son,” she said. “And you’re talking about a major medical procedure. I’m going to worry no matter what you say.”

“That’s your right,” he said, tossing her a wink to try to lighten her up. “So here’s where it gets a little unusual. Apparently, most donors and patients never meet or have contact, confidentiality rights and all. But the day after I confirmed I’d do it, the registry rep called me again. Said the father of the kid really wanted to talk to me, if I’d allow it. I figured sure, why not? I mean, I was going to do it no matter what. As soon as I heard I could help someone, there was no question in my mind I’d go through with it.”

“Of course,” Maria said. “That’s who you are.”

“So did you talk to the father?” Lew asked.

“Yeah. On Friday morning.” Nick shifted in his seat, stretching out his legs to roll one ankle, then the other. “The guy couldn’t be nicer, and I could hear the worry there and it really moved me. His son’s just a kid. They’re desperate. And long story short, I’m going.”

“Where are you going?” Lew and Maria said at the same time, then looked at each other with a quick laugh.

“New York. Turns out the kid’s father is some mega-rich businessman—I’m talking billionaire, like crazy money. Probably how he got around the whole ‘getting to talk to the donor’ thing. He wanted to talk to me to . . . well, offer incentive, I guess. He wanted me to understand that insurance should pay for everything that’s medical, but beyond that, he wants to pay. Even offered to cover whatever pay I lose at work for taking time off. Bottom line is, he didn’t want me to be worried about the expenses if it would make me decide not to go there and do it.”

Nick shrugged, rolled his head to stretch out the muscles there. Something about the way his mother looked had him slightly tense. “I assured him that I was going to do it no matter what. And yeah, I took him up on the hotel. Because if I have to go back and forth to New York a few times, or stay there for longer than I thought? Might add up, I don’t know.”

“Nick . . .” Maria’s voice sounded breathless all of a sudden. “You’re going to New York?”

“Yeah, Ma. I leave the day after tomorrow.” Nick watched her as he spoke; she really seemed off. He hated for her to worry about him. “On Friday, when I got the promotion, it was amazing, but terrible timing. I’d just talked to the father that morning! So I explained what happened, and that I feel I need to do this. Work was great about it. Better than I thought they’d be, actually.”

He ran his hands absently over his knees. “I’m taking an unpaid leave for two weeks. If I have to go a few more times, they’re fine with it. And the time I need off for the surgery and recovery will be paid leave. They were fully supportive. After it’s all done, and I’m back to one hundred percent, I’ll start the new job.”

“New York,” Maria repeated. “Billionaires, you said?”

“Uh-huh. Why?” Nick stared harder now. She looked upset. No, it was more than that. She looked . . . spooked. “Ma, you used to live in New York. You know I’m not going to, like, a war zone or something.”

“Are they from Long Island?” she asked.

Lew flinched, his head swiveling to look at his wife as his eyes flew wide.

Nick’s gut started humming and clenched, like right before something bad went down on the street. “What’s going on?” he asked, looking from one to the other. “You’re both acting weird.”

“The boy,” she said. “The billionaire father. What’s his name, do you know?”

“Yeah, of course I know. I told you, I talked to him,” Nick said. “The kid’s name is Myles. His father’s name is Charles.” Trying to joke to break the sudden heavy vibe in the room, he added in a mock snooty voice, “Get this for big-money pretentious: his full name is Charles Roger Harrison the third, thank you very much.”

Maria gasped sharply, her eyes rolled back in her head, and she fainted, slumping against her husband.

“I’m okay,” Maria said weakly. “Stop hovering.” She tried to sit up.

“No, stop!” Lew held her shoulders, keeping her down as he sat beside her on the couch. “You just fainted dead away—you need to lie still for a few minutes.”

“Do what he says, Ma.” Nick knelt on the carpeted floor next to her, studying her face. She was still a little pale. “You scared the shit out of us.”

“Sorry,” she whispered. Her eyes locked on her husband’s, and Nick saw they were filled with . . . fear.

Nick took her hand and caressed the top of it. It was cold. Usually her skin was so warm, like she had a fire burning in her core. “You’re fine, Ma. You’re okay—we got you.”

She just kept staring at Lew. He was telegraphing back to her with his own troubled gaze. Nick’s gut wasn’t just humming now, but blazing.

“What’s going on?” He looked from one parent to the other.

“I have to tell him,” Maria whispered to Lew.

“Totally your decision,” he said, and took her other hand.

“Tell me what?” Nick released the hand he held. “Come on. Whatever it is, please . . . you’re both starting to freak me out a little here.”

Maria’s dark eyes got glassy. She closed them, but the tears escaped and slid down her cheeks.

“It’ll be all right,” Lew told her gently. “I’m here. He loves you. Tell him.”

A strangled sob burst from her mouth, and she clapped her free hand over it. More tears fell. Lew kissed her other hand, which he didn’t release.

A chill prickled over Nick’s skin. He’d never seen his parents like this. He moved back and again sat in his chair, but brought it closer until he sat right at her side to stare down at her. “Whatever it is, he’s right. I love you. So go on—I’m listening.”

Her eyes opened and focused on him, liquid with emotion. “I just pray you’ll forgive me. Try to understand. . . .”

Nick didn’t say anything. He clasped his hands on his knees and waited, trying to ignore the churning of his stomach.

“I . . . I lied to you, mijo,” Maria finally said. “I know who your biological father is. I’ve always known who he is, and where he is.”

Nick felt like she’d slammed him in the chest with a sledgehammer. The air left his lungs with a hiss. He just stared at her as his heart skipped a beat, then took off like a shot.

“The only two people I ever told were your abuela and . . . your father.” She glanced to Lew, whose eyes never left his wife’s face. “I couldn’t marry him, start a life with him, with any secrets between us. I told him a month before we got married. And he didn’t leave me; he supported my decision and kept my secret. He’s the best man I’ve ever known in my life.”

Lew’s jaw clenched and a muscle jumped, but all he did was lift her hand to his lips and kiss the back of it.

Nick cleared his throat hard, trying to dislodge the boulder that had formed there. Maria turned, trying to lie on her side to better face her son.

“When I was twenty,” she said, “I worked during the day and went to community college at night. I used to work as a waitress, but then my cousin got me in as a housekeeper for a very rich family. Better pay. So even though I lived in Queens with my family, I took the bus out to Long Island every day.” She swiped at her wet cheeks. “I was young, naïve. . . . Well, I had a short affair with someone, and I got pregnant. But I quickly realized I meant nothing to him. And what was worse, much worse . . . I’d come to understand he was a horrible man. So I quit the job and left, without ever telling him I was pregnant. I didn’t want him to know.”

She sniffled hard, but the tears kept coming, rolling down her face. “I’d seen how awful he was to his own young son. He was downright cruel to him, and I didn’t want him to do that to my baby. And I knew if I told him I was pregnant, he’d either make me get rid of it, or try to take it away from me . . . so I ran. I told Mama, and she sent me down to Florida to live with Titi until the baby came. By the time you arrived, Mama was here. She gave up her job, her whole life in New York—my other sister and my brothers—to come down here to live with us . . . you and me.” A sentimental smile flickered. “You were her first grandchild, after all.”

The blood roared in Nick’s ears and his heart pounded, but he sat very still. After a long beat, he managed to choke out, “Who was the man? Tell me his name.”

Maria gulped, sniffled hard, but met his eyes directly. “His name was Charles Harrison. The second. So this boy you’re a match for? I guess he’s Charles’s grandson . . . and your nephew.”

Lew shook his head in slow astonishment. “Jesus, what are the odds of something like this happening? I mean . . .”

Nick felt the blood drain from his face and sat back. A strange whirring noise took over his head, something like a tornado. He gripped the arms of the chair, trying to stop the sudden sense of falling. Maybe he was going to pass out too.

“Charles Harrison had four children,” Maria went on quietly. “The oldest was Charles the third. You said you spoke to him? Well, he’s your half brother.”

Nick nodded. His head felt fuzzy, and he closed his eyes, trying to process the words. Jesus fucking Christ, he’d had a conversation with some stranger in New York, and it turned out the guy was his half brother? He could barely breathe.

“You have four half siblings,” Maria continued. “First two brothers—Charles, then Dane. Then a sister, Tess, and then the youngest son, Pierce. He was only eight years old when I worked there.” Maria sniffed back the tears and sat up a little more. “Charles was horrible to him. He either ignored the poor boy, or picked on him, absolutely went after him. The mother had left a few years before. The other kids were older than him, early teens, so it wasn’t as hard for them. But that boy . . .” Maria shook her head. “So alone. So sad. The nannies were raising him, not his own father. And then I watched him start to get angrier. He’d fight back, lash out.... He changed. For the worse.” She sniffed hard, wiped at her face. “And I didn’t want my own child to turn into him. To have that kind of life. So—”

“Were you ever going to tell me this?” Nick asked roughly. His voice felt like gravel in his throat. “I mean . . . ever?”

She looked at him and her eyes filled anew. “I was hoping I wouldn’t have to.”

Nick swore fiercely under his breath.

“She was scared,” Lew said. “You have to understand—”

“No, I don’t.” Nick rubbed his now clammy palms on his shorts, but his eyes locked on his mother. “You’re scared of the guy, fine. But me? Why wouldn’t you tell me this? Didn’t I have a right to know the truth?”

“If you ever had kids,” Maria whispered, “I was going to tell you then. So you’d have a medical history.”

His stomach twisted. “Ah. But I didn’t deserve that same courtesy?”

“Mijo,” she whispered weakly. “Please . . .”

“Please what?” Nick felt his blood surging, his temper starting to strain. “Please don’t be mad? I think I have every fucking right to be mad right now, no?”

“Nick,” Lew said, stern and low. “Watch how you speak to your mother.”

“I’m speaking to both of you! You lied to me too,” Nick spat. “You have no moral high ground here, so just step off.”

Lew’s jaw clenched. “I understand you’re shocked. But it was your mother’s decision to make. Her choice. I went along with it because I love and respect my wife. And by the way, I love you too. You are my son, in every way that counts, and we all know that.”

Nick sprung to his feet and started to pace the small living room. The whirring in his head got louder as the blood rushed by his ears. He ran his hands through his hair, trying to calm himself.

This was . . . he couldn’t absorb this. They’d lied to him about his whole damn life.

When he was eleven, a middle school project about genealogy had raised questions about his biological father, whom Maria had never talked about. She’d sat her son down and explained that she’d gotten pregnant via a one-night stand when she was twenty. Said she’d gotten drunk at a party and made a foolish choice—but she was adamant that Nick knew she never thought of it as a mistake. That she took responsibility for her choice, that Nick had been a gift from God to her, and most of all, that she never regretted her decision to keep her baby.

Maria had told her young son that she’d never even known the man’s last name, which was why she hadn’t put one on his original birth certificate. All she could tell Nick was he was white, probably some basic Anglo-Saxon mix, and he’d never known she was pregnant. When she met and fell in love with Lew, it had been another gift from God to her, and they’d built a family together, made a good life for their three kids.

Young Nick had been surprised, but hadn’t given the news much thought. It did explain why Nick always felt there was something that was just . . . off. He’d heard some of his aunts whispering once when he was six years old, something about Maria being an unwed mother and his white father, and he’d assumed it was about Lew. . . .

Apparently not. Maybe his gut instincts had been strong even then. So even at the young age of eleven, Nick had been glad to know the truth about his conception because it helped some things make sense, things he’d felt that, before, he just couldn’t make sense of or verbalize. When he heard relatives whisper about his mom once in a while, he’d, knowing the truth, felt a protective sting for her. Then he’d pushed it into the recesses of his mind and gone on with his life. It hadn’t altered who he was. He had a dad who loved him. His mom had kept him and loved him. That’s all that mattered.

Now Nick looked at his dad, and his mom . . . and betrayal broke over him like a tidal wave, crushing him with its ferocity. He could barely breathe. Honor and truth were driving forces in his life. Few things held more weight with him than honesty.

They knew that about him. Yet they’d known the truth all along and purposely kept it from him. He was almost thirty years old. Would they have ever told him the truth? Even now, he didn’t know, and that made something dark and hot snake through his chest.

“You have to listen to her,” Lew said. “To both of us.”

Nick stopped pacing and crossed his arms over his chest as he glared at them.

“Charles was smooth,” Maria said, “and he was a ruthless man. I knew he was that way in business, but he sweet-talked me and I didn’t know any better. Until I saw how he treated that boy. It always made me so . . . uncomfortable.”

“But you slept with him anyway,” Nick ground out. “Spare me the pity party.”

“You watch your mouth!” Lew shouted, springing to his feet.

Maria shot out a hand to grip her husband’s arm. “Yes,” she said to Nick. “Yes, I did. I was naïve. He was charming to me. Handsome, powerful, and very persuasive. I was young, flattered that someone like that would pay attention to someone like me.”

“Don’t make her do this,” Lew growled at Nick, his fair cheeks splashed with high color.

“I’m okay,” she said, but her wide eyes, filled with sadness and anxiety, said otherwise. “He deserves to know all of it. I can take it, and so can he.”

“Damn right. So. Serious question.” Nick pinned her with his eyes. “Why didn’t you get an abortion? You were young, had no money. Why keep me?”

Maria’s mouth dropped open in shock, but she recovered quickly. “For me, there was no choice. You were my baby, so I wanted you. That was it.” She brushed her hair back from her face and he saw her hands were shaking. “I was willing to do whatever I had to, to make sure you had a good life. But a normal life. I didn’t want Charles Harrison’s money, or all the strings that would come with it. I didn’t want him anywhere near you.”

“You don’t know how it might have been,” Nick said. “You assumed.”

Maria’s dark eyes flashed. “Go Google Pierce Harrison sometime, the boy I’m talking about. He’s a grown man now, older than you. You’ll see what I saved you from. He turned into a hell-raiser. A spoiled, entitled bad boy—the whole stereotype. Got in trouble a lot. He was a professional football player in England, and he quit suddenly in the middle of a scandal. His life was a mess. I’d bet this house that his antics are a direct result of growing up the way he did . . . mistreated by his father. So I’m not sorry for leaving and saving you from that kind of life.”

“Saving me from what, a rich man’s life?” Nick snorted out a laugh. “Oh, please.”

“You don’t have to defend yourself,” Lew said to her.

“Yes, she does,” Nick snarled. “She absolutely does.” He’d always known he had been adopted by Lew, and that somewhere out there was the man who’d helped actually create him. It had rarely bothered him. The few times it had, he’d dealt with it and hadn’t let it take over his head and heart. But now, he felt like the world had teetered sideways and he didn’t know which end was up. There was a name. A face. A history. A whole other family out there.

“I’m asking you,” Maria said carefully, “not to go to New York. I think it’d be a disaster. I’m asking you not to meet or get involved with these people.”

At that, Nick’s eyes rounded. “These people, as you say, are my blood relatives.”

“But they’re not your family,” Lew said. “We are. We know you, we love you, and we’re trying to protect you.”

“I’m a grown man who’s quick on my feet, strong, smart, and licensed to carry a weapon,” Nick said. “I don’t need protecting from anyone, thank you very much.”

“Yes, you do,” Maria said. “You’ve never dealt with someone like Charles Harrison before. The older one, not the younger one. If that man finds out you exist, and that you’re his son? He’ll try to take over your life.”

Nick snorted out a laugh. “Yeah, right.”

“You don’t know!” she cried, lurching to her feet. Lew’s hand shot out to grab her arm and steady her. “People like that, with that kind of money and power? You have no idea what—”

“I deal with murderers, drug dealers, violent criminals, addicts who go fucking crazy, every day,” Nick said. “Every single day. You think some pansy-ass white-bread billionaire scares me in the slightest?”

Maria shook her head. “You don’t understand.”

“I guess not. And right this moment, I don’t need to. I’m outta here.” Nick turned and headed for the door.

“Don’t go!” she yelled, her voice breaking. “Please!”

He whirled around to face her. Her fear was palpable, and his heart squeezed at the look of terror on her face, but he was more furious than he could ever remember being. “What.”

“Don’t go there. I’m asking you not to go there,” she begged.

His mouth twisted as he seethed, “You’re asking me not to help save a kid’s life to keep your secret? You’ve got to be fucking kidding me.”

She jolted as if he’d slapped her.

“That’s not what she’s asking you to do,” Lew said, “and you know it.”

“It’s what it sounds like to me.”

“Then you don’t know your mother if you think she’d ask you to—”

“I don’t know who she is right now—you’re right!” Nick shouted. His heart thumped wildly as he turned to his mom. “You lied to me my whole life.”

Her mouth quavered and her eyes filled with fresh tears, but she stood her ground. “I lied to you to protect you. I’ll never apologize for that. I just . . . should’ve told you sooner. That, I apologize for.”

Nick’s jaw clenched so tightly, his teeth ground together. “I’ve never felt so betrayed in my entire life. It’s a fucking knife in my heart.”

The tears rolled down her face. “I know,” she whispered. “I’m so sorry, mijo. And again, I’m still . . .