Meant To Be Read online

  Meant To Be

  by

  Karen Stivali

  Meant To Be

  Copyright © 2012, Karen Stivali

  Trade Paperback ISBN: 9781622370276

  Digital ISBN: 9781622370269

  Editor, Lola del Sol

  Cover Art Design by KJ Jacobs

  Electronic release, August, 2012

  Trade Paperback release, September, 2012

  Turquoise Morning, LLC

  P.O. Box 43958

  Louisville, KY 40253-0958

  www.turquoisemorningpress.com

  Warning: All rights reserved. The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work, in whole or part, in any form by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, is illegal and forbidden, without the written permission of the publisher, Turquoise Morning Press.

  This is a work of fiction. Characters, settings, names, and occurrences are a product of the author’s imagination and bear no resemblance to any actual person, living or dead, places or settings, and/or occurrences. Any incidences of resemblance are purely coincidental.

  This edition is published by agreement with Turquoise Morning Press, a division of Turquoise Morning, LLC.

  Acknowledgements

  There are countless people without whom I’d never have been able to complete this book. This is to acknowledge some extraordinary individuals who made it all possible. My undying gratitude to each and every one of you.

  Annette Pratts, who was there from the very first word and never stopped cheering for me. None of this would have happened without you, and I mean that in a good way.

  Karen Booth, for being my tireless critique partner and never letting me quit.

  Joan Rosania, Melissa Gandy, Mike Byrne and Jeremy Anderson, for believing that I could do this, even when I didn’t.

  Janelle Denison, for telling me “whatever you do, do not put this in a drawer.”

  Carl Grimsman, for being a voice of reason when I had none left.

  Katherine Mariaca, Kelley Amrein, Ed Bacher, Diane Badzinski, Nancy Foster, Trudy Gendron and Heather Stirnweis, for being the most encouraging, supportive group of writers in the world.

  Dawne Beamer, Nora Driscoll and Jane DeShazo for always having faith in me and keeping me sane.

  Kim Jacobs, Shelley Rawe and Jennifer Johnson, the extraordinary women of Turquoise Morning Press, for helping me turn my dream into reality.

  Special thanks to Gary Keck for being the kind of teacher you never forget.

  Dedication

  This book is dedicated to Max and Jake, who are more amazing, unique and beautiful than any fictional characters I could ever create. And to my dad, who would have bought the first copy.

  MEANT TO BE

  Sometimes you’re already committed to the wrong person when fate finally brings you the right one.

  When NYU professor Daniel Gardner’s career-obsessed wife convinces him to move to the suburbs, he hopes it’s a first step toward starting the family he longs to have. Instead of domestic bliss he finds his neighbor, Marienne Valeti. She loves her freelance design job, but must contend with a growing sense of isolation created by her husband’s indifference. A penchant for good books, bad movies, and Marienne’s to-die-for brownies sparks a powerful bond between them. Passion simmers, but they resist its lure, surrendering only in the seclusion of their minds. Their friendship helps them weather every hardship, from divorce to widowhood, leaving them both secretly wondering if it can survive a first kiss.

  Chapter One

  Marienne watched as Daniel grabbed a bottle of Coke out of her fridge.

  He unscrewed the cap and took a drink. “It’s quite difficult to understand American slang when English isn’t your native tongue.”

  He continued speaking but Marienne’s mind was caught on the words native tongue. Or, more specifically, tongue. More precisely still, Daniel’s tongue. She’d always loved the sound of his voice, the expressiveness of his choice of words, but sometimes she just enjoyed watching his mouth. This was one of those times. She studied his tongue as it moved to form his words, as it licked his lips when he paused to think, as it pressed against the Coke bottle when he drank. Heat prickled through her.

  Is it hot in here or is it him? She was unable to focus on the thought, as once again she was mesmerized. Now it was curved upward, pressing against the back of his top teeth as he looked at her, eyes narrowed.

  “Are you all right?” he asked. The concern in his voice caught her attention, as did the puzzled look on his face.

  “What?” She no longer remembered what they’d been discussing.

  “You’re not listening to a word I say, and that’s not like you. I’ve been speaking total gibberish and you didn’t even react. Are you okay? You’re all flushed.”

  She tried to think of a way to explain to her best friend that she’d been too busy obsessing to concentrate. He’s divorced. Frank’s gone. Maybe I should. Her heart galloped.

  He leaned over and felt her forehead. She held her breath, dizzy from his touch. She wanted to scoot forward and kiss him, hard, on the lips, but didn’t dare to move. Thoughts of the kiss, and his tongue, flashed through her mind.

  “You’re really warm.” His hand trailed to her cheek, flipping over so he could assess her with the back of his fingers. They felt cool and silky along the contours of her face, and she pressed against them.

  His brow furrowed. “You’ve got a fever.”

  What? Her hand flew to her forehead. “Shit,” she said, as even she could feel the burning warmth.

  He grabbed a glass from her cupboard and held it beneath the ice dispenser. The crystal chunks tumbled into it. “You must have finally caught whatever Ella had last weekend.” He filled it with water and handed it to her.

  “Oh, God. You’re right.” Ella had come home sick from preschool three days ago, and that was the standard grace period Marienne usually got before catching things from her daughter. She rested her head on the kitchen table.

  ****

  Daniel smiled at Marienne’s whining. She was acting like Ella.

  “Drink your water.” He opened another cabinet and reached for the Tylenol. He shook out two and returned the bottle to the top shelf.

  “Here.” He rubbed his knuckles against the top of her hand. “Take these.”

  She groaned.

  “Take them.” He nudged a second time. Heat radiated from her skin. Enticing. Alluring. He shuddered, trying to shake the thoughts from his mind. “Come on now, be a good girl.”

  She sat up and scowled. He smiled and dropped the tablets into her upturned hand. The backs of his fingers grazed her palm and a tingling flush rippled through him.

  She stared at him, eyes defiant, then popped the pills into her mouth and took a sip of water. She flipped her head back and swallowed hard, an action that caused Daniel to gulp as well. He wanted nothing more than to swoop down and kiss her with total abandon, to feel her overheated body, to be immersed inside her.

  He said the only words he could think: “Let’s get you up to bed.”

  ****

  Four Years Earlier

  Daniel Gardner hated being late. It seemed disrespectful. Like other people’s time wasn’t as important as his. He willed the train to move faster, but to his dismay it slowed to a stop. A collective groan rose from the passengers. He peered out the window. He could see the station right up ahead. What the bloody hell….

  The conductor’s voice came over the PA system. “This is New Jersey Transit. Sorry folks, there’s a problem with the tracks. We should be arriving at New Brunswick station in just a few minutes.”

  Daniel raked his hand through his hair. Bugger. He was already running late because so many students had questions after class. It
was to be expected as it was only the first week of NYU’s summer session. He’d stayed to answer every question and had missed the earlier train by an annoying two minutes.

  Normally he wouldn’t have minded, much. He’d have sat and read while waiting for the next train. His wife, Justine, was hardly ever around these days, no matter what time he got home. The grand opening of her women’s spa was only a week away, and she spent practically every waking hour there. Tonight, however, Daniel had someplace he wanted to go.

  The community theater group was having the first meeting for their upcoming charity production. They were looking for both cast and crew members. Daniel loved plays and enjoyed building things. He was only teaching two classes during the summer session so this seemed like a promising way to fill his time and, hopefully, make some new friends.

  In the three months since they’d moved to Highland Park, NJ, he’d only gotten to know one person, a fellow commuter named Frank Valeti. Frank worked as a trader and had a similarly erratic schedule to Daniel, so they often ran into each other on the train and had even carpooled a few times. They didn’t have a lot in common, but Daniel appreciated having someone to talk to on the commute.

  Frank had also recently become a neighbor. He and his wife, Marienne, had purchased the house behind Daniel and Justine’s. They’d only moved in the week before, after weeks of living in a nearby apartment while awaiting their closing. Daniel had yet to meet Marienne, but Frank had mentioned that she was planning to volunteer for the play. Daniel hoped to introduce himself to her tonight. If I ever get there. The train gave a chugging start then sighed to a halt again. Come on….

  By the time he got into New Brunswick, he had no time to stop home. He rushed straight to the theater. The heavy wooden door creaked and groaned as it opened. He followed the signs past the stage to the community room in the back of the building.

  Someone was already addressing the large gathering. Daniel gave an apologetic wave as he slipped into a seat near the door.

  He scanned the u-shaped group of chairs while he listened. He’d seen Marienne once, from a distance, while she was carrying plants out to her deck. It only took a second before he spotted her, seated directly across the room. She sipped from a travel mug and appeared to be doodling.

  Her hair was longer than it had looked from across the yard. It flowed past her shoulders, falling across her face every time she looked down. She had the roundest, darkest eyes he’d ever seen.

  ****

  Marienne had been looking forward to working on the summer production for months, but now that she was at the meeting, she wanted to go home. The stress of moving combined with an attack of allergies had given her a miserable sinus infection. She wanted to curl up in bed with the covers over her head.

  She hoped she would get through the meeting without an embarrassing coughing fit. Not the first impression she wanted to make.

  There were more people at the sign up meeting than she’d expected. Her eyes moved from face to face. She recognized no one.

  A man peeked into the room then strode toward a spare seat near the door. Marienne’s breath caught the moment she saw him. She had no idea who he was, but had the odd sense that she’d seen him before. He was undeniably attractive, tall and thin, his dark hair a pleasurable disarray, his features distinctive and well-defined.

  She leaned to the left so she could get a clearer view. He was staring intently at the speaker, but was in constant motion. His fingers raked through his hair, he shifted in his seat, his thumb rubbed against his jaw and lower lip.

  The antihistamine was making her brain hazy. She wouldn’t normally stare at a stranger, regardless of how appealing he looked, but she found herself watching this guy. His eyes shifted, and he appeared to be looking straight at her.

  She looked down and scribbled in her notebook, sniffing louder than she intended. The downward motion of her head caused her nose to start running again. When she dared to sneak a glance at him, she was surprised to find him still watching her.

  He surprised her further by smiling—a warm, friendly smile that reached all the way to his eyes. Without thinking she smiled back. Her cheeks heated, and she looked away. He was more than likely smiling at someone seated near her, someone he knew. She kept her eyes on her paper while she attempted to keep up with the presentation.

  “Anyone interested in working on the stage crew, please remain in this room, Evelyn has the forms you’ll need to fill out. Those of you who would like to audition, please follow me.”

  A small crowd formed around Evelyn as people waited for paperwork. Marienne was planning to do stage work. She wanted to get the forms and go home. She fumbled with her keys, tissues, and travel mug. By the time she had everything gathered the handsome stranger was standing right beside her.

  “Hi,” he said. “I’m Daniel. And you’re M—”

  “Marienne,” she said, flustered.

  She was confused, wondering why this man who looked so familiar and so alluring seemed to already have some degree of comfort around her. Then the name hit her. Daniel. This is Frank’s commuting buddy?

  “Daniel.” Her eyes widened as it began to make sense. “From the train.”

  “Yes, and more recently from your back yard.” His eyes smiled as they had from across the room. Up close she noticed they were a startling green, a color so distracting that for a moment she forgot to be nervous and simply stared back at them.

  “I’m sorry.” Her cheeks tingled. “I’m on allergy medicine, and I swear all it’s doing is making me stupid.”

  “Frank mentioned you weren’t feeling well. Said he wasn’t sure you’d even make it tonight.”

  “He did?” Marienne was shocked. Frank hadn’t said a word to her about Daniel working on the play.

  “I take it he didn’t mention that I might be here.”

  “No. He never tells me anything.”

  “Well, it’s nice to finally meet you,” Daniel said, smiling. “I’ve seen you out in your yard a few times, watering your plants, but I wanted to give you time to settle in before I barged over to introduce myself.”

  Marienne’s mind flipped through the few times she’d been outside watering plants in the past week. She’d probably been in her pajamas or ratty sweatpants. Between being sick and being in the midst of unpacking, she’d been a wreck the entire week.

  She cringed, thankful that he’d seen her from a distance. Though she could only imagine what he must be thinking now that he was seeing her up close. At least I put on some makeup. She sniffled again, hoping the tickle in her throat would calm down before she started coughing all over her new neighbor.

  Daniel seemed to notice her discomfort. “Let’s get signed up so you can go home and get some rest. Probably all the stress of moving that got you sick in the first place. Moving turns your whole world upside down.”

  “It does,” she said, thinking he was sweet for recognizing that she wasn’t in the best state to socialize, although now that she’d met him she was looking forward to getting to know him better. He seemed so easy to talk to, and she loved his accent. Frank had never mentioned that he was British.

  They moved toward Evelyn. Daniel stepped aside to allow Marienne to get her forms first. She grabbed two copies of each and gave him a set. He picked up two pens and handed one to her. They headed to the counter on the side of the room.

  “Driver’s license number?” Daniel patted his pockets. “Shit, I left my wallet at work.”

  “Oh no,” Marienne said, her voice rich with mock concern. “Well, there goes what could have been a very promising career in unpaid set construction.”

  Daniel laughed. “Should I come clean, you think, and tell her I don’t have it? Or just make one up?” His eyebrows rose.

  Marienne considered the options, amused that he’d asked.

  “What have you got?” He leaned over to look at her form, running his index finger across the page until he got to the space for license number. “Oh geez, i
t’s that long? I can’t make up a number that long.”

  Marienne thought he most definitely could, but she wanted to see him sweet talk his way out of the situation with Evelyn. “I think you should tell her.” She lowered her voice to a whisper. “Most American women are suckers for a British accent. I think she’ll let it slide.”

  Daniel grinned.

  “Come on,” she said, sniffling again. “Let’s see how you do….”

  Marienne made Daniel hand his papers to Evelyn first. She wanted to watch what happened. He threw her a frightened grimace then smiled at Evelyn.

  “Well hello,” Evelyn said, taking in Daniel with an approving look up and down. She scanned his paperwork, instantly noting the blank spot on his form. “Looks like you forgot something, hon….”

  ****

  “I didn’t forget, exactly,” Daniel said, a smile playing at his lips. He heard Marienne giggle behind him. “I don’t have my wallet. Is that a huge problem?”

  “Not at all, dear.” She waved her hand. She appeared to be quite taken with him, as Marienne had predicted. “Do you have any form of ID? I just need to verify your name.”

  Daniel reached into his pocket and pulled out his NYU staff ID. “Will this do?”

  “Yes.” She looked from the photo to his face. “Ohhh, a professor—very nice. You’re all set, hon.” She beamed at him as she reached toward Marienne and took her forms. Daniel stepped aside to wait.

  “Oh, how cute. The professor…and Marienne. You must get that all the time. You two married?” She looked up and wagged a finger between them.

  “What?” Marienne’s eyes grew huge. “Us? Uhh, no.” Her cheeks colored again.

  “Oh, I’m sorry.” Evelyn paused and squinted at them. “Good friends at least?”