A Husband In Her Eyes Read online

  She’d longed for his touch from the day she’d met him

  Now it was gentle as his thumb brushed her cheekbone. But when he ruffled the hair at her temple, he suddenly stilled.

  “That’s a scar,” he said, tracing his finger over it. “What happened?”

  She could tell him why she’d come to him, why she’d sought him out, but she knew her feelings for him were growing deeper. She didn’t want him to send her away. He’d do that if she told him about the dreams. He’d think she was crazy.

  “I was in an accident. It’s still too painful to talk about.”

  After he studied her for a moment, he said, “I don’t like talking about the past, either.” His hand moved from her face to the nape of her neck. He murmured, “Maybe we can forget about it altogether.” And then his lips came down on hers.

  Dear Reader,

  Calling all royal watchers! This month, Silhouette Romance’s Carolyn Zane kicks off our exciting new series, ROYALLY WED: THE MISSING HEIR, with the gem Of Royal Blood. Fans of last year’s ROYALLY WED series will love this thrilling four-book adventure, filled with twists and turns—and of course, plenty of love and romance. Blue bloods and commoners alike will also enjoy Laurey Bright’s newest addition to her VIRGIN BRIDES thematic series, The Heiress Bride, about a woman who agrees to marry to protect the empire that is rightfully hers.

  This month is also filled with earth-shattering secrets! First, award-winning author Sharon De Vita serves up a whopper in her latest SADDLE FALLS title, Anything for Her Family. Natalie McMahon is much more than the twin boys’ nanny—she’s their mother! And in Karen Rose Smith’s A Husband in Her Eyes, the heroine has her eyesight restored, only to have haunting visions of a man and child. Can she bring love and happiness back into their lives?

  Everyone likes surprises, right? Well, in Susan Meier’s Married Right Away, the heroine certainly gives her boss the shock of his life—she’s having his baby! And Love Inspired author Cynthia Rutledge makes her Silhouette Romance debut with her modern-day Cinderella story, Trish’s Not-So-Little Secret, about “Fatty Patty” who comes back to her hometown a beautiful swan—and a single mom with a jaw-dropping secret!

  We hope this month that you feel like a princess and enjoy the royal treats we have for you from Silhouette Romance.

  Happy reading!

  Mary-Theresa Hussey

  Senior Editor

  A Husband in Her Eyes

  KAREN ROSE SMITH

  With deepest appreciation to Marlene and Ken Urso—my California consultants—as well as to firefighter Dominick Kass, who always gives me thorough answers to my questions.

  Books by Karen Rose Smith

  Silhouette Romance

  *Adam’s Vow #1075

  *Always Daddy #1102

  *Shane’s Bride #1128

  †Cowboy at the Wedding #1171

  †Most Eligible Dad #1174

  †A Groom and a Promise #1181

  The Dad Who Saved Christmas #1267

  ‡Wealth, Power and a Proper Wife #1320

  ‡Love, Honor and a Pregnant Bride #1326

  ‡Promises, Pumpkins and Prince Charming #1332

  The Night Before Baby #1348

  ‡Wishes, Waltzes and a Storybook Wedding #1407

  Just the Man She Needed #1434

  Just the Husband She Chose #1455

  Her Honor-Bound Lawman #1480

  Be My Bride? #1492

  Tall, Dark & True #1506

  Her Tycoon Boss #1523

  Doctor in Demand #1536

  A Husband in Her Eyes #1577

  Silhouette Special Edition

  Abigail and Mistletoe #930

  The Sheriff’s Proposal #1074

  His Little Girl’s Laughter #1426

  Silhouette Books

  The Fortunes of Texas

  Marry in Haste…

  Previously published under the pseudonym Kari Sutherland

  Silhouette Romance

  Heartfire, Homefire #973

  Silhouette Special Edition

  Wish on the Moon #741

  KAREN ROSE SMITH

  is a former teacher and home decorator. Now spinning stories and creating characters keeps her busy. But she also loves listening to music, shopping and sharing with friends, as well as spending time with her son and her husband. Married for thirty years, she and her husband have always called Pennsylvania home. Karen Rose likes to hear from readers. They can write to her at P.O. Box 1545, Hanover, PA 17331 or visit her Web site at www.karenrosesmith.com.

  Dear Reader,

  I’m so pleased to have the opportunity to write A Husband in Her Eyes. I’ve been nurturing this idea since the eighties when I saw a talk show concerning transplant donors and recipients. When I researched corneal transplants then, medical technology wasn’t advanced enough to lend realism to the book. But last year when my editor invited me to write an innovative project, I researched my concept again and found that medical advances now made my idea feasible. Mingling the scientific with the spiritual and emotional was an exciting process.

  I believe in mystery and miracles, as well as not always being able to discover the answers to the time-honored questions. I also believe the power of love is the strongest force in the universe and makes the impossible possible. Love draws my heroine into my hero’s life. Having the courage to unravel the mystery of her dreams leads her to her soulmate. There is no greater joy than fulfilling destiny by seeking and finding lifelong love.

  As you read Zack and Melanie’s love story, I hope you will believe along with me.

  All my best,

  Contents

  Prologue

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Epilogue

  Prologue

  He was tall, with dark brown hair…and deep, deep brown eyes that were anguished and so very sad. He was standing in the rain, gazing up at the mountains and calling to someone. A pair of pink-and-blue baby booties dangled from the peak of the mountain.

  Melanie Carlotti awakened. Her eyes flew open, and she sat up and hugged her pillow. This man who haunted her dreams caused such a yearning inside of her. Heart pounding and breathless, she ran her fingers through her short, light brown hair and glanced at the clock in her bedroom. It was 3:00 a.m. She knew she wouldn’t be going back to sleep tonight. How many nights had she spent wandering the apartment after a dream of the handsome stranger?

  Switching on her bedside lamp, she wished the dreams would stop. But then as she slid her legs over the side of the bed, she knew that wasn’t altogether true. Ever since her corneal transplants, these images had flitted through her mind and her dreams. The man’s face was clear to her, and she didn’t understand the yearning of her heart to reach out to him.

  Restlessly she crossed to her rolltop desk and picked up the framed photograph of the husband and little girl she’d lost, lovingly tracing her finger around Kaitlyn’s four-year-old face. Tears came to Melanie’s eyes as she stared at her husband. She’d particularly reminded Phil to unplug the Christmas tree lights before he went to bed that night….

  It wasn’t Phil’s face she saw in her dreams…and the feelings that overwhelmed her now didn’t seem to belong to her. She couldn’t go on like this.

  For the past few months she’d tried to find the identity of her organ donor. The problem was, the identity of donors as well as recipients was kept strictly confidential. She had to find out what these dreams meant. She had to find out who her organ donor was, and
if the dreams and her operation were truly connected.

  Rolling up the lid on the desk, she pushed aside the contract and pictures from her most recent interior decorating job, took out the phone book and flipped to the yellow pages. A few moments later she found the section she was looking for—private investigators.

  Somehow she was going to make sense of all of this. Somehow she’d find the identity of the man in her dreams. Then she could go on with her life.

  Chapter One

  The woman who opened the penthouse door was only five feet tall, with snow-white hair and twinkling green eyes. She wore sensible brown-and-white tie shoes, denim overalls and a plaid blouse. “Melanie Carlotti?” she asked, confirming Melanie’s appointment.

  “Yes. I know I’m a little early, but since I wasn’t exactly sure where I was going—”

  “We’re in the middle of nowhere,” the woman agreed with a grin. “But not for long, I imagine.” She gave Melanie a quick once-over. “I’m Flo Briggs, Mr. Morgan’s housekeeper. Follow me and I’ll take you to his office.”

  Melanie took a deep breath, nervous about this appointment. Not only about the appointment. She felt as if she were being led by an unseen hand, and the idea gave her a shivery feeling. Through her private investigator’s competent search of medical records and death certificates, she’d found out her corneal transplant donor had been Sherry Morgan from Santa Rosa. Her husband, Zachary Morgan, was a self-made businessman who owned a chain of sports equipment stores.

  And he was looking for an interior decorator to put the finishing touches on his new office building an hour north of Santa Rosa.

  Simply a coincidence?

  The P.I. had offered to get her a picture of Zachary Morgan. But Melanie had needed to find out more about Sherry Morgan’s life…to meet her husband in person and figure out exactly what the feelings she was experiencing were all about.

  In just a few moments she’d find out whether he was the man in her dreams. If he was…

  Melanie’s heart thudded so hard, she felt as if it were going to jump out of her chest as Flo Briggs led her past a spacious living room, then down a hall. There the housekeeper motioned to an open door.

  Melanie stepped inside and came face-to-face with Zachary Morgan. Her organ donor’s husband was sitting at his desk, his white, oxford-cloth shirtsleeves rolled up, deeply involved in his work and seemingly oblivious to her presence.

  This is the man, everything inside of her screamed. She felt almost dizzy with the realization that her dreams had been much more than dreams.

  As he stood to greet her, their eyes locked and Melanie’s heart lurched.

  “Miss Carlotti?” he asked, his voice deep and rich, striking a chord inside of her. He extended his hand, and for a moment she was afraid to take it.

  Then she did. His grip was strong, his skin warm, his hand tanned, and she was so relieved when she didn’t feel anything strange. “Yes. It’s good to meet you.”

  Releasing her fingers, he leaned away and nodded to the black leather chair in front of his desk. “Tell me why you’d like to decorate my offices.”

  After she took her seat, he lowered himself into his chair but kept his gaze on hers. She still couldn’t believe she was finally in the presence of the man she’d been dreaming about for months—a man she’d found so very compelling. Yet she knew if she told him her real reason for being here, he wouldn’t believe her or worse yet, he’d think she was crazy.

  Smoothing her hand down the rose skirt of her two-piece dress, she gave a logical explanation for wanting this job. “The way I understand it, this is a large project—four floors of offices. I’d enjoy working on a job that size, starting from scratch and choosing everything from wall coverings to furniture.”

  He glanced down briefly at the papers on his desk. “You’ve mostly decorated homes. Why do you feel you have the qualifications to do this job?”

  “I’d expect you’d want your offices to reflect something about you and your business and how you run it. It’s really not so different from decorating a house to match a client’s personality as well as likes and dislikes.”

  “I suppose that’s so.” Keeping his gaze steady on hers, he said, “There’s almost a two-year gap in your work history, and you’ve only finished a couple of minor jobs in the past few months. Can you tell me the reason for that?”

  She could lay it all out on his desk right now—tell him about the fire and her corneal transplants and the keening ache that had brought her to him. If she did that, he might escort her out of his building, lock the doors and never let her back in. She’d be left with dreams and no explanations. “I had some health problems,” she explained. “Now they’re resolved and I’m ready to get back into the swing of my career again.”

  He seemed to think about that. “Why here in Northern California rather than back in L.A.?”

  “I need a change. I’ve heard that Santa Rosa is a particularly lovely place to live. I have a good reputation that I can take with me anywhere, so I decided to start fresh. If I get this job.”

  He arched a brow. “And if you don’t?”

  “I might stay for a while and see if there are any other opportunities.”

  After another long, silent appraisal, he asked, “Do you have a place to stay?”

  “Not yet. I checked into the motel at Cool Ridge last night.” Cool Ridge was about forty-five minutes outside of Santa Rosa and consisted of little more than a main street. She’d been fortunate to find a room in the one motel there. A country-music festival was being held at nearby Clear Lake, and vacancies were hard to find anywhere in the area.

  As her gaze held Zachary Morgan’s, there seemed to be more than words between them. Something akin to electricity. She wondered if he felt it, too.

  His brows furrowed as he once again looked down at the papers on his desk, and she suspected he was buying time as he made a first impression of her. “Your résumé is certainly complete. I phoned—”

  Suddenly a toddler came running into the office. From her P.I.’s report, Melanie knew Zack’s daughter was eighteen months old. The little girl made a beeline straight for Zack and held on to his knee, looking up at him with a beatific smile.

  Melanie’s breath caught at the wave of feelings that washed over her. Zack’s daughter had dark brown eyes and his dark brown hair, but where his was thick with a slight wave, the child’s was fine and fell in ringlets framing her face.

  “Da-dee. Up,” she said gleefully.

  Flo Briggs came tearing into the office, breathless. “I’m so sorry, Zack. She got away from me. Right after her nap, she’s got more energy than ten of me.”

  Zack laughed and lifted his daughter onto his lap. “How’s a man supposed to conduct business with a distraction like you around?” His voice was teasing and warm and altogether loving.

  “Da-dee, Da-dee,” she said, as if that explained absolutely everything.

  He shook his head. “I can’t play right now. Maybe Flo can find a cookie or two for you.”

  As if telling her dad that was a fine idea, the child wrapped her arms around his neck and gave him a tight squeeze.

  He hugged her back and, looking over her tiny shoulder, he said to Melanie, “This is my daughter, Amy. Since we moved here I often work out of the penthouse, and she takes advantage of any time she can find me.”

  Amy suddenly let go of her dad’s neck and turned to look at Melanie.

  Melanie had felt an almost hum when her gaze had first connected with Zachary Morgan’s. Now as she looked at his daughter, there was that same feeling of connection. Was it her imagination? Truth be told, if she hadn’t already been dealing with strange things since her operation, she might think she was going crazy.

  Her heart told her another story…especially when Amy blinked twice at her, broke into a superwide smile and scrambled from her dad’s lap. She ran to Melanie and looked up at her with wide brown eyes.

  “Hi, there,” Melanie said almost re
verently, feeling like a mother again. Joy and sadness and an unfathomable yearning filled her.

  Amy held her arms up, never taking her gaze from Melanie’s. Instinctively she lifted the toddler to her lap. The little girl touched Melanie’s cheek, her soft baby fingers leaving an imprint on Melanie’s heart.

  Flo Briggs rushed over, a surprised expression on her face. “She never goes to strangers,” Flo murmured. Then she looked at Melanie’s pretty rose dress and Amy’s little shoes. “C’mon, poppet. We don’t want to get Ms. Carlotti all dirty.” The housekeeper gathered up the little girl into her arms. Flo assured her employer with a wink, “We’ll find a cookie and some juice and play with blocks for a while. Then maybe you can get some work done.”

  When Melanie glanced at Zack, he was staring at her as if he were searching for the reason Amy had taken to her. Then he stood and came around the desk, kissed Amy’s forehead and ruffled her hair.

  Amy waved at Melanie as Flo carried her out of the room.

  In front of his desk now, Zack Morgan was only two feet away from Melanie, and she could smell the forest scent of his cologne. Given his at-least-six-foot height and his very broad shoulders, he seemed to take up the entire office. Maybe it was just her awareness of him that took up the entire office.

  As he leaned against his desk, his gaze was inscrutable. “Your résumé doesn’t say whether or not you’re married.”

  Amy’s touch still tingled on Melanie’s cheek. “I was once. I’m not married now.” She couldn’t tell him more than that without revealing too much.

  “Is that the reason you left L.A.?”

  “One of them,” she answered quietly. There was a straightforwardness in Zack Morgan’s attitude that urged her to tell him everything. But she couldn’t. Not yet.

  Silence lingered between them for a few moments. Finally Zack broke it. “Let’s go take a look at the offices. When we’re finished, you can give me ideas. If I like them, we’ll talk about a contract.”