LITMIR.BIZ

      To our dear friends

      Rhett Palmer and

      Claudia Faye Johnson

      plus Beni

      The cutest dog in the universe

       Prologue

      “I can’t believe Grace is willing to do this on Christmas Eve,” Mary Jo said, slipping the frilly red dress over Noelle’s head. The one-year-old fussed, objecting to the fact that her face was momentarily covered.

      “It’s Noelle’s birthday,” Mack reminded her.

      Not that Mary Jo needed reminding …

      “A year ago today you stepped off the foot ferry to Cedar Cove …”

      “And met you,” she finished for him.

      “At the library …”

      “Because Grace thought I needed medical attention.”

      “Which you did,” Mac continued, smiling at their exchange, “because you were about to give birth.”

      “Only I didn’t know that at the time.”

      “No one did.”

      Noelle squealed.

      “Except Noelle,” Mary Jo said. “Right, sweetie?” She nuzzled her daughter’s face. “Happy birthday, baby girl.”

      “Ma Ma.”

      “That’s right, sweetie. That’s me.”

      “Ma Ma,” Noelle repeated and gleefully clapped her hands.

      “Are my two girls ready to party?” Mack asked. He had his coat on and a big collection of birthday and Christmas gifts tied up in a large bag that made Mary Jo think of something Santa would haul around. “We don’t want to keep everyone waiting.”

      Grace had invited half of Cedar Cove—or so it seemed to Mary Jo—to her Christmas Eve bash, which was also Noelle’s birthday party. All three of Mary Jo’s brothers planned to attend, which was only fitting since they’d lost out on the chance to welcome their niece into the world a year ago. Mary Jo still had to grin whenever she thought about her brothers racing around the county like Keystone Kops frantically searching for their missing sister.

      Grace’s two daughters and their families would be at the ranch as well, along with Grace’s dear friend Olivia and Olivia’s husband, Jack. And Charlotte and Ben Rhodes were on the invitation list, too, as well they should be.

      Then, of course, there were Mack’s parents, Roy and Corrie McAfee. His oldest sister, Gloria, had sent her regrets. She was a sheriff’s deputy and unfortunately she’d pulled the Christmas Eve shift. His other sister, Linnette, who lived in North Dakota, was a new mom herself and had mailed a gift Noelle had cheerfully ripped open that morning. It was a pull toy that made popping sounds with every step. Mack had laughed and promised revenge. Mary Jo could see a toy drum set in little Wade Mason’s future.

      Oh, yes, this was going to be quite the party and one Mary Jo had never expected. But then, she hadn’t expected any of this. That day exactly a year ago—when she’d come from Seattle with the desperate, and misguided, idea of finding Noelle’s birth father—had changed her life.

      What she’d found was love, friends, a home, a whole new family. Not that there was anything wrong with her old one, but the people of Cedar Cove had expanded her family above and beyond anything she could ever have dreamed of.

      “I’ll get the car warmed up and then come back and help you and Noelle,” Mack said.

      “Okay, darling.”

      “Darling?” Mack’s eyebrows rose ever so slightly, giving him a sexy, enticing look. “I have to say I prefer that to the nickname the guys at the firehouse have for me.”

      “And what’s that?”

      “You think I’m going to tell you? Not on your life.”

      “Loverboy?”

      He laughed, shook his head and disappeared out the front door. Mack returned a couple of minutes later to carry Noelle to the car. “You ready?”

      “Ready.”

Скачать книгу