LITMIR.BIZ

      Tanya Michaels

       www.millsandboon.co.uk

      MILLS & BOON

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      From the Author

      Dear Reader,

      I have two jobs—writer and mother. Reference books have been published on both subjects. Support groups exist for both. But there’s really no substitute for hands-on experience! As difficult as parenting can sometimes be for any mom, no matter how prepared she is, I began to imagine a woman with zero prior experience who becomes a stepmother, joining a family “already in progress.”

      What would that be like? And what if, soon after her becoming a stepmom, the children’s father was temporarily out of the picture, leaving her to learn the ropes on her own? (Suddenly the challenges I occasionally face in my own role as Mommy looked a lot simpler.)

      Meet Kate St. James, the result of all my what-ifs. I hope you enjoy her story of becoming part of a family and her realization that there are all kinds of success in the world, some harder to measure than others but infinitely rewarding. Watch for her friend Delia’s story, Motherhood Without Warning, in 2007! More details about that book, as well as my other releases and reader giveaways, are available at www.tanyamichaels.com.

      Happy reading!

      Tanya

      Thanks to all the readers and reviewers who

       have let me know how much they enjoy my work.

       You truly make the tough days worth it! And special

       thanks to Anna DeStefano, who’s been there for every

      career and motherhood challenge I’ve faced,

       always willing to brainstorm, encourage and

      discuss hilarious GFY and TWoP posts.

      CONTENTS

      PROLOGUE

      CHAPTER 1

      CHAPTER 2

      CHAPTER 3

      CHAPTER 4

      CHAPTER 5

      CHAPTER 6

      CHAPTER 7

      CHAPTER 8

      CHAPTER 9

      CHAPTER 10

      CHAPTER 11

      CHAPTER 12

      CHAPTER 13

      CHAPTER 14

      CHAPTER 15

      CHAPTER 16

      CHAPTER 17

      PROLOGUE

      My first Valentine’s Day as a married woman. Forty-two-year-old Kate St. James stood barefoot in the modern kitchen, theoretically tackling an impromptu romantic breakfast while her husband, Paul, showered. In reality, Kate had barely glanced at the cookbook lying open on the kitchen island. Having not partaken in her morning caffeine rituals—the dark roast was still brewing—she’d been staring contentedly into space.

      Mooning, her friend Delia would scoff. Fast-talking businesswoman Delia Carlisle was not prone to romantic sentiment. Then again, Kate hadn’t been either until a couple of years ago. Until Paul St. James.

      A well-paid technical writer in Richmond, Virginia, Kate had always been analytical and goal-oriented: Escape the Dallas neighborhood on the wrong side of Harry Hines Boulevard and her cloying, opportunistic mother. Check. Get an MBA. Check. Climb the career ladder until she was comfortably secure and self-sufficient. Check. By forty, Kate had accomplished enough of her personal objectives to consider finally making more time for a personal life. Especially one that included Paul, a handsome widower and CEO.

      When their paths had first crossed two years ago, she’d taken only passing notice of the soft-spoken man still mourning his late wife. He and Kate ran in similar circles with mutual acquaintances, though, and eventually formed an attraction neither could ignore. Paul told her once that he’d been drawn to her strength, a welcome change from those who first noticed Kate’s looks. On her part, she’d been impressed with Paul’s sense of balance. She’d always been something of a loner, whereas he seemed to have well-rounded relationships and a laudable ability to thrive in the business world without resorting to cutthroat tactics. They’d married a month and a half ago, ringing in the New Year with an elegant evening wedding before Paul’s children returned to their prestigious New England boarding school.

      Children. Kate caught herself anxiously twisting the wedding band on her finger. Dropping her hands to her sides, she took deep breaths and conjured confidence. It was going to be fine.

      She had endured a pressure-filled childhood and a mother most charitably described as “less than nurturing.”

      She had persevered her third year of college after ugly rumors of her sleeping with a popular professor

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