He wants forever. She wants right now.
Ivy Millbrook isnât interested in happily-ever-after. The only thing she wants from Seth Walker is no-strings-attached fun. Too bad Seth is holding out for the white picket fence. As a single father of two, he is the epitome of commitment and the complete opposite of Ivy. Theyâre at a standstill.
The situation intensifies when Seth insists on helping Ivy save her dairy farm. With the kids in tow, working together isnât easy. But is the prospect of losing each other forever enough to push them toward a compromise?
She jerked away from him.
The warmth sparked by his you deserve love comment vanished faster than an apple under Cabana Boyâs nose. âYou donât know that.â Ivyâs hang-up when it came to kids might not be rational, but she had her reasonsâreasons she didnât plan on sharing with Seth.
âYou donât know me,â she continued.
âYou wonât let me.â
âBut there are so many incredible things I will let you do.â
He blew out an exasperated breath. âCome on. This is about more than sex. You like me. You look forward to my visits. We have fun together. My kids donât bite.â He flashed a grin that weakened her knees all over again. Damn that dimple. âAll right, they do, but not often, and never when thereâs a chance theyâll talk someone into playing Uno. Look, you have a lot in common. All three of you love horses, hate brussels sprouts and live to cause me grief. Why not give this a shot?â
âBecause Iâm looking for sex, not a happy-ever-after.â
Dear Reader,
Welcome back to Castle Creek! You may remember Seth and Ivy from Staying at Joeâs. Sethâs a feed store owner and single father of two who has a thing for Ivy, a flirty dairy farmer. Unfortunately, Ivyâs not a forever kind of girl, and since Seth is done with casual, that means a happy ending just isnât in the cards for these two.
At least, it wasnât until I wrote their story.
Compromise is the name of the game here. Compromise, and adjusting expectations. While Ivy struggles to convince Seth heâs asking too much of her, she gradually realizes sheâs asking too little of herself. And though Sethâs kids are everything to him, he begins to understand that keeping Ivy in their lives could be the best thing heâs ever done for themâand the only way he himself will be happy. Concession can be tough, but it can also win you the love of your life.
So let the games begin.
I hope you enjoy Seth and Ivyâs story as much as I enjoyed finally getting them together! I adore hearing from readers, so please feel free to email me at [email protected]. And hey, drop me a note if youâre interested in Ivyâs cheesecake recipeâthe recipe takes a little effort, but I promise itâs worth it!
Thank you so much for coming back to Castle Creek!
All my best,
Kathy Altman
KATHY ALTMAN writes contemporary romance, romantic suspense and the occasional ode to chocolate. Sheâs also a regular contributor to USA TODAYâs Happy Ever After blog. Kathy prefers her chocolate with nuts, her Friday afternoons with wine and her love stories with happy-ever-afters. Find Kathy online at www.kathyaltman.com. Sheâd enjoy hearing from you!
To my sister Mary.
I can thank you for making the long drive, and for the frosty walks from the hotel to the hospital and back again, and for the hot chocolates, and the cheerfulness, and the hugs and the prayers, but I can never thank you enough for simply knowing Iâd need you.
Youâre all kinds of amazing.
Acknowledgments
My most earnest thanks to Toni Anderson, who unfailingly supports me, guides me, cheers me, challenges me and sets the bar so darned high; and to Robin Allen, who generously plies her expertise at beta reading and proofing pages and taps her foot when Iâm not writing fast enough. What would I do without you two to share this writing life with?
My deepest gratitude to my family, for your never-ending support and patience.
Iâd also like to thank Mills & Boon editor Claire Caldwell for taking good care of meâI look forward to working with you on the next one!
And many, many thanks to the readers who appreciate happy endings as much as I do. I canât tell you how grateful I am for you.
Big, squeezy hugs to you all!
CHAPTER ONE
SETH WALKER CURSED a streak bluer than the truckâs oil-heavy exhaust as he slid out from under the chassis and blinked in the morning sun. Dammit. This was not going to be an easy repair. Heâd have to call the garage. Arrange a tow. And figure out how the hell he was going to manage to pay for either when his bank account balance hovered somewhere between pathetic and desperate.
He plucked his shades from his shirt pocket, jammed them back into place and reached for his phone. Heâd find a way. If he didnât have a truck, he couldnât make his deliveries. And if he couldnât make his deliveries, he couldnât see Ivy.