LITMIR.BIZ

       www.millsandboon.co.uk

      KAREN ROSE SMITH

      An award-winning author, Karen Rose Smith has had over fifty romance novels published. Each book broadens her world and challenges her in a unique way. While writing The Super Mom, she recalled the friendships she’s experienced that have touched her the most. Some are lifelong. Some are recent. All have enriched her life. Readers can e-mail Karen through her Web site at www.karenrosesmith.com or write to her at P.O. Box 1545, Hanover, PA 17331.

      To Lisa Smith—Thank you for your thoughtfulness

       and support through a difficult time. May we always

       find that ray of sunshine and feel its warmth.

      Contents

      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

      Epilogue

      Chapter One

      She was a fraud.

      Everyone in the neighborhood thought Angela Schumacher was a Super mom, which might have been true a couple of years ago. But now, handling two jobs, caring for Olivia, Anthony and Michael more or less on her own, she was frazzled and on the edge.

      She parked in her driveway and leaped out of her van, just staring at the scene in front of her. Evening light was fading fast. Her neighbor and babysitter, Zooey, stood just outside Angela’s front door carrying Jack Lever’s toddler. Zooey’s hand was in a “stay” position to Olivia, Michael, and Jack’s daughter, Emily, as she called to someone around the corner of the house.

      Concerned that her normally unflappable, beautiful neighbor seemed hassled, Angela rushed forward. Although her blond hair was cut to a chic chin-length bob, and she usually felt good about herself when she looked in the mirror, next to Zooey she felt like a shrimp at five foot four. She’d never understood why it had taken Jack Lever so long to fall in love with his beautiful, willowy nanny. But he finally had, and everyone on Danbury Way had cheered. Now they were engaged to be married.

      “Jack, be careful on that ladder,” Zooey called around the corner of the house, her breath puffing white in the early December cold.

      “What ladder?” Angela asked, astonished. What in the heck was going on here? Maybe a cat had climbed up onto the roof… “Why is Jack climbing a ladder?”

      Shifting two-year-old Jack Jr. from one arm to the other, Zooey replied calmly, “It’s Anthony.”

      The fact suddenly registered with Angela that Anthony wasn’t standing in the doorway with the other kids. Her heart raced. Her mouth went dry. Panic clamped her chest. “What about Anthony? What’s wrong? Why do you need a ladder? Is there a fire?”

      Zooey gave her friend a hint of a smile. “No, no fire. Calm down. He’s locked in his room. We can’t get him to open the door. He and Olivia got into an argument. He took her rock collection, went into his room and locked everyone out.”

      Seven-year-old Olivia came rushing to Angela now, and so did Michael. “Mummy, I hate him,” she cried, tears rolling down her cheeks. “He’s got my rocks.”

      Olivia’s rock collection was her most precious possession. That’s obviously why Anthony had taken it. From the Super mom front, she was failing miserably with her oldest child. Anthony had been acting out in subtle ways for the past few months, ever since Jerome had missed his last two dates to see him.

      Little Michael, whose fifth birthday seemed to give him permission to ask more questions than any other five-year-old in the world, gazed up at her with certainty. “You can make him open the door. That’s my room, too. He won’t let me in.”

      “Jack just wanted to peek in the window to make sure he was okay,” Zooey assured her.

      At that moment Jack rounded the house and smiled at Angela. “He’s as stubborn as any nine-year-old. He won’t look at me or talk to me. He totally ignored me when I rapped on the window. But he’s okay. He’s sitting on his bed with his earphones on, playing with his GameBoy.”

      “I don’t know what to do with him,” Angela murmured. “I can’t make up for what Jerome won’t do.”

      After she shooed the other kids into the house, Zooey bounced Jack Jr. a bit. “Maybe it’s time you look into the Big Brother program at the community center.” She glanced at Jack for support.

      He shrugged. “You’d get a positive, male influence that way. On the other hand, you could get married again…” As usual Jack’s voice was full of mischief, and Angela knew he was just trying to make her smile. But right now, the idea of finding a husband ranked right up there with wanting to find a snake in her basement. She wasn’t looking for one, didn’t need one and would rather dismiss the whole scenario.

      One thing she did know was that she had to take Anthony in hand. Up until now she’d been too lenient. She’d felt guilty because Jerome had left their Rosewood, New York, home without a backward glance. Disappointed he didn’t understand what gems he had in his kids, sorry that they didn’t feel his love, she’d overcompensated. That had to stop. Anthony had to understand reality, and she was going to explain it to him.

      Turning to Zooey, she asked, “Can you stay for a few more minutes until I talk to Anthony?”

      “No problem.”

      As Jack took Jack Jr. from Zooey’s arms, he gave her a fast but resounding kiss. “Emily, are you coming with me?”

      His daughter, the same age as Olivia, shook her head. “Olivia and I have stuff to talk about.”

      Jack

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