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      MILLS & BOON

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      ABOUT THE AUTHOR

      Fate led Megan Kelly to write romances—fate and her grandmother, that is. While riding a crosstown bus, teenage Megan and her grandma happened on a Harlequin Romance novel. The older woman scanned the first page to determine the book’s content and declared it to be about lions, then she gave it to Megan to pass the time on the next day’s journey home, five hours away. (The first page did mention lions, but they were statues at the gates of the hero’s family estate.) Megan became an avid reader and discovered her dream job—writing those exciting and moving stories she loved. She lives in the Midwest with her husband and two children and is well-known at her local bookstore and library.

      For my critique partner, Carol Carson, who

       nudged me along every inch of this book’s journey

       (sometimes with a cattle prod);

      For my kids, who have made their own sacrifices

       by having a mom who writes;

      and, as always, for my husband.

      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 One

      He didn’t have time to look for a wife.

      Joe Riley stifled his exasperation when his mother cut him off midsentence. She meant well, but her manipulation drove him nuts. He didn’t have time for this phone conversation, either. A glance at the in-box on his desk confirmed that. “Mom, I can find my own dates. Stop interfering.”

      In the heavy silence that followed, the memory of his mother in CCU came into his mind, tubes and machines keeping her alive. He swallowed, pushing away the thought. Trying to be cautious regarding her health, he’d become so indulgent the situation had gotten out of hand—or, rather, out of his hands and into his mother’s.

      “Ever since I had that heart attack, I’ve been—”

      Joe tuned out her emotional blackmail. He didn’t need a reminder of the scare that had made him move to his parents’ town just north of Kansas City, Missouri. He did need a plan to stop his mother without upsetting her and endangering her health, and he needed it soon. Last week would have been good.

      “And,” she continued, “I’m concerned you’re heading down the same path as your dad. You work even more than he did. You don’t go out and enjoy life.”

      “You don’t have to worry about me.” He unlocked his jaw to speak. “I date all the time.”

      “That’s what worries me. You’re always dating, never courting.”

      He laughed. “Courting?”

      “You know perfectly well what I mean. You need to settle down. Stop wrapping your work around you at night and get a wife to keep you warm.”

      “I’m plenty warm, believe me.”

      “Don’t you talk smutty to me, young man.”

      Joe’s face heated. He felt like a hormonal teenager rather than the president of his own firm. “I didn’t mean it that way.”

      “Don’t try to sidetrack me, either. I’m going to find you a good woman.”

      He rolled his eyes. A good woman. Just what he didn’t want. He had to do something. Last week, she’d told his secretary she planned to meet Joe after dinner but had forgotten the name of the restaurant. After getting the information, she’d sent the daughter of a friend to meet him. Unfortunately, he’d been closing a deal, not just dining. Besides embarrassing his “date,” the incident had jeopardized an important contract. He’d done some fast talking to save the deal and the woman’s feelings.

      He thought of the women he’d dated in the past few months. Due to the demands of getting Riley and Ross Electronics relocated to the Midwest, too few came to mind. Since he hadn’t felt a connection with his dates, he hadn’t seen any woman more than once. Work kept him extremely busy.

      Desperate sons required desperate measures. Joe took a deep breath. “Look, I wasn’t going to say anything yet because I didn’t want to get your hopes up. But I guess you’ve left me no choice.”

      “You never could keep a secret from me.”

      He smiled as memories of his teenage years flashed through his mind. If she only knew. “I’m seeing someone. Regularly.”

      “Oh?” Skepticism laced her tone. “Just how often is ‘regularly’ with your work schedule?”

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