Shay swiped a damp paper towel over Vickiâs face.
âThere, beautiful again. Donât you think so, Daddy?â
Shay angled her body so that she was holding Vicki toward him.
Markâs throat closed, emotion making it impossible to breathe. The sight of his daughter balanced on Shayâs hip and snuggled against her was wrenchingly poignant. It should have been comical, those sparkly red hearts sticking out of Vickiâs mass of curls and Shay standing there with a too-small tiara perched on her head.
I could love this woman.
Dear Reader,
When my son was much younger, he was in speech therapy and I remember being anxious for the day when he could share whatever he was thinking without any communication obstacles. Well, I got my wish. He has shared many things with a great many people.
In this book, single father Mark Hathaway is about to learn that you canât always predict what kids will sayâ¦and that sometimes they share information you wish they hadnât. More than anything, Markâs six-year-old daughter wants a mother and, when it becomes clear that her father is too busy with his job to date, she takes matters into her own small hands, landing Mark in the principalâs office.
New principal Shay Morgan stepped into the role midyear when the former, much beloved, principal retired early for medical reasons. Shay is hoping to make a good impression so she will be hired permanently. Flirting with one of the studentsâ fathers would be a bad career move, especially a father whose first few attempts at classroom volunteering donât go well. But Shay canât help admiring how hard Mark works on his daughterâs behalf and how he keeps trying. She also canât help noticing that he has a great smile and an adorable kid.
As Mark and Shay discover, even when weâve meticulously mapped out our priorities, life and love (and our children!) often surprise us.
Happy Valentineâs,
Tanya Michaels
His Valentine Surprise
Tanya Michaels
Tanya Michaels began telling stories almost as soon as she could talkâ¦and started stealing her momâs Harlequin romances less than a decade later. In 2003, Tanya was thrilled to have her first book, a romantic comedy, published by Harlequin Books. Since then, Tanya has sold more than twenty books and is a two-time recipient of a Booksellersâ Best Award as well as a finalist for the Holt Medallion, National Readersâ Choice Award and Romance Writers of Americaâs prestigious RITA® Award. Tanya lives in Georgia with her husband, two children and an unpredictable cat, but you can visit Tanya online at www.tanyamichaels.com.
If you ever have to meet a summer writing deadline
while the kids are out of school and underfoot, I highly suggest that in addition to a wonderful husband and mother (both of which I am blessed to have) you arm yourself with a team of incomparable friends. Thank you to Ashley Cate, Sally Kilpatrick, Melissa Silva and their familiesâ my very own superhero squad.
Prologue
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
Chapter Fourteen
I hate you, Santa Claus!
Six-year-old Vicki Hathaway sat at her auntâs dining room table, remembering how Aunt Dee took her to that mall in Charlotte to go Christmas shopping. Vicki had her picture made with Santa and told him what she wanted, really wanted, more than anything in the world. And because her dad said it was bad to be greedy, sheâd only asked for one thing.
A new mommy.
But December was over and now it was almost the end of January. Her father hadnât met any new women or gone on one single date. How could Santa not help her when sheâd been so good? Her babysitter, Mrs. Norris, called her an angel. Vicki had been almost perfect, except for spilling juice on her dadâs inventory papersâwhich didnât count because it was an accidentâand sometimes fighting with her cousin Bobby (which didnât count since he always started it by picking on her).
âVicki,â her aunt said, âis everything all right? Youâre not eating. And you love pot roast. I made it especially for you.â
Vicki loved almost all the food at Aunt Deeâs house. Her dad was not a good cook, which was why they ate most nights at the Braeden Burger Shop. Except on Tuesdays when Aunt Dee picked Vicki up from ballet and Vickiâs dad came here after he closed the store and they had dinner together. Tonight, Vicki wasnât hungry. Her tummy had hurt since ballet class, but she didnât want to tell Aunt Dee. Her aunt would make her drink that pink stuff that tasted dee-sgusting.
Vickiâs stomach had started to feel bad when her dance teacher reminded everyone about the big April recital and said she was sending home notes to ask for volunteer âstage moms.â Lorelai Moon said right away that her mother could come.
Lorelaiâs mom was in charge of the childrenâs choir at church and came to their elementary school to read to the first graders after math centers. Lorelaiâs mom was in the PTA with Aunt Dee. Lorelaiâs mom also baked the cupcakes for their ballet class Christmas party. Vicki was the only girl in balletâthe only girl in the whole first gradeâwho didnât have a mother.