Just One Thing Read online

  TABLE OF CONTENTS

  Acknowledgments

  Back Cover

  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

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Excerpt of Bad King

  Books by M. Malone

  About the Author

  Copyright

  - Acknowledgments -

  There are so many people who were instrumental in helping this book come to life. Writing the same characters for the past few years has been an honor and a challenge, but one that I wouldn't have even attempted without the encouragement of the Alexander fans. Thank you all so much for reading, reviewing, sharing and just loving my "family" as much as I do.

  I have to thank my husband for countless things. Cooking a million dinners, ignoring the sound of my fingers clacking on a keyboard while you're trying to sleep and for loving me in spite of my constant daydreaming and cranky moods when my characters aren't cooperating. Loving a novelist isn't easy but you are the model of a romantic hero.

  For my sister, I love you, firecracker! The best thing Mom and Dad ever did for me was decide to have you. Our do-nothing vacation is coming soon, I promise!

  Also I have to say a heartfelt thank you to the amazing Nana Malone. Meeting you at conference that day was definitely fate. This book wouldn't exist without your encouragement :) You can't get rid of me now! Mwa-ha-ha! The world isn't ready for us.

  JUST ONE THING

  Bennett Alexander is a bona fide genius. He runs his family’s farming cooperative, speaks four languages and is about to apply for his tenth patent. But the one thing he never mastered is how to be cool. His childhood friend Olivia is the only one who “gets” him.

  Katie Mason is in over her head. Taking care of her two kids and dealing with the aftermath of her divorce leaves her exhausted at the end of every day. By the time she realizes her ex-husband left her with a mountain of bills, she has to do something. Fast.

  When Bennett hires her, the task is simple: teach him to act normal so he can win the heart of his first love. There’s just one thing: after spending so much time with him, the only thing Katie wants is to teach Bennett how to love her.

  **Sign up to be notified of all new M. Malone books: HERE

  Did you miss any of the previous books in the series?

  ~ THE ALEXANDERS SERIES ~

  One More Day

  The Things I Do for You

  He’s the Man

  Christmas with The Alexanders

  All I Need is You

  Say You Will

  Just One Thing

  CHAPTER ONE

  ♥

  Pale streams of sunshine slanted through the windows and angled over the metal worktables. Outside several birds chirped, trilling a merry duet. It was as perfect a spring day as could be had in southern Virginia but Bennett Alexander didn’t notice any of it. All of his attention was directed to the microscope in front of him.

  “Perfect. Absolutely perfect,” he mumbled and scribbled his observations on the pad of paper next to his hand.

  There could have been an earthquake going on outside and he wouldn’t have noticed. Not when he was in his favorite spot doing his favorite thing.

  Learning.

  A high-pitched shriek finally pulled his attention from his research. Stretching his arms overhead, he rolled his shoulders to release several hours’ worth of accumulated tension as he moved closer to the window.

  His brothers were engaged in a spirited game of football along with their women. Although after watching for just a few seconds it was clear the game was less about competition and more about giving his brothers ample opportunity to tackle the girls.

  A strange sensation rose in his chest as he watched his younger brother Nick grab his wife around the waist and lift her off her feet. Raina squealed but laughed heartily as they both fell to the ground. The football tumbled to the side, forgotten, as she threw her arms around his brother’s shoulders and kissed him. A second later, his brother Elliott appeared and grabbed the football off the ground and ran to the other side of the yard, holding his arms above his head in victory. His fiancée Kaylee cheered while his youngest brother Jackson and his wife, Ridley, watched them indulgently.

  Bennett turned from the window, swallowing down the tickle of longing he felt. For years he’d accepted the fact that while he was extraordinarily gifted in many areas, there was one subject where he would never excel.

  Flirting.

  The strange rituals of courtship between men and women were the one subject that he had never been able to master. He was awkward and always had been. He’d long accepted that he was one of the people that functioned better solo and it was illogical to focus on an area he had no aptitude for. If he hadn’t figured it out after thirty-two years, then it wasn’t going to happen. It was better to spend his time on the things that he understood, like his research.

  He walked back over to his worktable. The gloriously perfect soil sample on the slide was the culmination of months of experimentation and testing. His family’s farming co-op was constantly looking for ways to increase yield without sacrificing the quality of their crops. His parents had given him complete leeway to develop soil, fertilizer and innovative farming techniques to make it happen.

  Some people hated the tedium of testing but he found it soothing. Everything about science was calm. Logical. Why couldn’t life be like a hypothesis? Things would be so much easier. If you do this, then you will get a certain result. Observe and note the results and adjust how you proceed accordingly. No one expected to have perfect results in the lab.

  His gaze fell to the square piece of paper on the center island. It was heavy cardstock with that curly, metallic lettering that was really hard to read. But even his terrible eyesight couldn’t miss it. He’d been nominated for an award. Which meant he would have to attend the awards ceremony.

  He sighed.

  Since he’d been ignoring his mail for the past month, his mother must have put it there so he’d see it. Ignoring things that he found uncomfortable was his usual way of navigating a world that was often baffling and many times humiliating. But his mother had already seen the invitation and if he knew anything about Julia Alexander it was that she wanted her children to be happy. She couldn’t understand that he was happy here, just as he was. Alone with his work. Alone with his thoughts.

  Alone.

  It was how he’d always been, even in the midst of a large extended family. But she wouldn’t understand that. His eyes strayed over to the window again where he could still hear the faint sounds of shrieking and laughter.

  He was starting to understand it less and less himself.

  Frustrated, his hand shot out and knocked the invitation to the floor. It made him feel ridiculous to have this sense of dissatisfaction with his life when he had achieved so much. He had a PhD in Molecular Biology, spoke several languages fluently and was in the process of filing for his tenth patent.

  He didn’t need anything else.

  Bennett turned back to his work, ignoring the sun shining through the windows and the noise outside. He took note of where he was stopping so he could pick things back up after getting something to eat. He’d e
xceeded the recommended time between meals on too many occasions lately and was starting to lose weight. For optimal health it was important to maintain a certain muscle-to-fat ratio. Anyone who worked as many hours as he did, inside the lab and around the farm, couldn’t afford to lose valuable time to sickness.

  Maybe he would even go to the main house and have dinner with his parents. He hadn’t done that in a while and it would make his mother happy. Over the years, his parents had done the best they could with him, despite the fact that they’d never really understood him. Although he often felt like an octagonal peg in a family of circles and squares, they’d always loved and encouraged him. He honestly couldn’t ask for better.

  Satisfied with his decision, Bennett started packing away the samples. He’d just clean up and then get going. Maybe he wouldn’t even tell them he was coming. His brothers always teased him about being buried in his work. He’d show up for dinner as a surprise and for once prove them wrong.

  ♥

  It was time to face the facts.

  She’d been ignoring it for months but as she looked down at the various bills scattered over her dining room table, Katie Mason had to finally admit that she was in way over her head.

  “Are you even listening?”

  “Yeah, Mari. I’m still here.”

  Katie adjusted her phone between her shoulder and her ear. Her sister Marilyn was complaining yet again about their mother. She smiled. It was probably petty but it was nice to know she wasn’t the only one her mother criticized. The only one who escaped their mother’s eagle eye was their older brother Nelson, who could do no wrong.

  “Then she asked if I needed help cleaning since my windows were dirty. I mean, who has time to clean windows every season?”

  “Sheila White does,” Katie replied.

  They both laughed. Their mother loved to tell them all about how she’d managed to keep their father happy and their house clean with no problem. Katie had long ago given up trying to meet her mother’s high standards. It was one of the few perks of divorce. She’d already failed so completely in her mother’s eyes that she didn’t bother to nitpick so much anymore. Katie figured she was probably already considered past redemption.

  “Whatever,” Mari grumbled. “Did you sign up for that dating app I told you about? I heard it’s really good.”

  Katie didn’t bother asking who her sister had heard that from. Her sister was an incurable romantic. Mari thought all her problems would be solved by finding a new boyfriend. Katie couldn’t get too annoyed at her persistence, after all romance had always come easily for Mari. Her sister was happily married to her high school sweetheart, Dennis. They didn’t have children yet but were enjoying practicing, as Mari liked to say.

  Katie thought it was good that they were taking their time. Her sister was three years younger at twenty-four and Katie felt she could use the time to mature before becoming a mother. Instead Mari used the time to hound her siblings about their dating lives. She had been telling Katie to “get back out there” ever since the divorce was final. Both of her siblings were worried about her being alone, not that her brother would ever say it, but Katie doubted that going on a date with some random guy was the answer.

  “Um… sure I did.”

  “No, you didn’t. I don’t know why you won’t at least try it. You deserve a hot guy that makes you lose your good sense. Don’t you want a guy with a sexy ass? I want that for you, Katie.”

  Katie picked up one of the bills on the table. PAST DUE was stamped on the front. Just like the one beneath it and the ones beneath that one.

  She was drowning in bills and had no idea what to do.

  “Right now, I’m just focused on keeping my head above water. Not on a guy with a sexy ass.”

  It was no wonder that her ex-husband had looked so smug when they signed the divorce papers. Don had willingly given her the house and now she understood why. He knew she hadn’t worked outside the home in years and wouldn’t be able to keep up the payments.

  If she didn’t get a job that paid well soon, she and her children would be out on the street.

  Okay, that was a little dramatic. No matter how bad things got, her friends would never let her end up on the street.

  Mari sighed. “Do you need money? I might be able to help.”

  “No. I’m going to figure this out on my own.”

  There was a light knock on the door before it opened. She smiled when she saw who it was. As usual, her closest friend always seemed to know when Katie needed her.

  “Let me call you back, Mari. Someone’s at the door.”

  Her sister grumbled. “This conversation isn’t over.”

  “I love you, too.” Katie hung up just as her friend Ridley stepped into the room.

  Ridley Wells Alexander was married to her neighbor Jackson. Despite being a famous producer, he was also a really nice guy and (when she’d first met him) a single father to two young boys. She’d been thrilled to see him fall head over heels for Ridley when she came to town. It wasn’t hard to understand why. Ri was as sweet as could be.

  “Hi, are you busy?” Ridley’s eyes scanned over the pile of envelopes spread across the table.

  Katie’s first instinct was to hide them, especially since so many carried the embarrassing PAST DUE stamp. However, she’d been hiding how bad things were for months. At first she’d thought that Don would come back or grow a conscience and pay his child support. However as the months passed and things got worse and worse, she’d started ignoring things out of self-preservation.

  But it was past time for that now. She couldn’t bury her head in the sand any longer because before long the bill collectors were going to come and take that, too.

  “I’m just going through some bills. Come on in. Do you want some lemonade?”

  Katie started to rise but Ri waved her off and then settled carefully in the dining room chair next to her, one hand resting on her rounded belly.

  “I’m just fine. Please don’t get up. I’ve already had plenty to eat and drink today. Probably too much.”

  “You look beautiful as usual,” Katie replied as she always did when Ri groused about her pregnancy weight gain. She remembered all too well feeling like a cow when she’d been pregnant with each of her sons but Ri hadn’t even gained that much weight.

  Ridley’s twin sister was a well-known model and since they were identical, Ri had the same long, willowy frame. The twins were biracial so they always had a golden, tanned glow year round and they both had long, curly dark hair. Today Ri had bundled hers on top of her head in a sloppy bun that somehow still looked amazing.

  Katie patted her hair. She’d pulled her shoulder length tight curls up into her usual bun. Don had hated it when she cut her hair but with two young kids, it had seemed like the practical solution. She glanced over at Ri who was the stepmother to two kids and pregnant with another and somehow still woke up looking like a goddess. She sighed.

  “So what is all this?”

  Ridley picked up one of the envelopes and then glanced over at Katie. When she didn’t make a move to stop her, Ri thumbed through the stack of bills, her sharp eyes taking everything in. When she got to the bottom, she let out a soft sigh.

  “Oh, Katie. How bad is it?”

  “Bad. I’ve already burned through all my savings and we’re barely scraping by each month. Honestly, I’m not sure what to do.”

  Ridley looked like she wanted to say something but clamped her lips shut. Both Jackson and Ridley had offered her financial help before but Katie had quickly shut that down. She wasn’t anyone’s charity case and besides, that would only be a temporary solution, anyway. If she took their money, things would be okay for a few months but then what would happen after that ran out? She’d be right back in the same position. No. She had to figure out how to earn her way out of this mess on her own.

  “I’m so sorry. We had no idea things were this bad,” Ridley said.

  “Yeah.”

  Th
ere was really nothing else to say so Katie gathered the envelopes up and wrapped them in the rubber band she’d been using to keep them together. She glanced over at the digital clock in the kitchen. The boys would be getting home from school soon and she needed to be ready to meet them at the bus stop.

  “There has to be something we can do,” Ridley said. “The same skills that relate to taking care of children have to be translatable to other industries.”

  Katie shook her head. “I only wish. That’s why I started doing the summer camps, remember? It was the only thing I could do to earn money, even before Don left. Taking care of kids is all I’ve ever done.”

  Ridley looked thoughtful. Then her eyes swung over to Katie. Uh oh. Whenever her friend had that look in her eye, it usually resulted in some sort of crazy plan. For such a sweetheart, Ridley could be a bit of a troublemaker.

  “What? Why are you giving me that look?”

  “Nothing. I mean, I just had an idea.” At Katie’s nod, she continued, “Kaylee used to be an administrative assistant and the way she described it sounded like taking care of men who are nothing more than overgrown babies. I bet you’d be great at that!”

  Katie thought about it. “I don’t think it’s that simple. You have to know how to do office stuff. I can type but not as fast as I used to back in school.”

  “Well, you can brush up on that. I bet we can download one of those typing programs and you’ll be up to speed in no time. And I know that you make great coffee and have no problem keeping a million details straight. You remember all the kids’ allergies, likes, dislikes and favorites like it’s nothing. I bet you’d be the best assistant ever!”

  Ridley grinned, looking quite pleased with herself. Katie smiled. Her friend was one of the most optimistic people she’d ever met. The sky could literally be falling and Ridley would just assume it was leaning down to kiss you hello. Even though she didn’t share her friend’s benign view of the world, it made her feel better to know that someone else could see the positive.