Mistletoe Mommy
It was supposed to be a family vacation. That's why Dr. Adam Varner grabbed his brood and hit the road, hoping to find a way to reconnect with his daughters and son. On the way, he rescues stranded pet sitter Brenna Pierce…and feels another kind of connection. And then there's the amazing way she's bonding with his kids. Brenna didn't come home to her small Georgia town looking for a family.In fact, the Mistletoe native is a lot more comfortable relating to pets. And, appealing as she finds the sexy surgeon, she can't afford to get attached to someone who's just passing through. Is Brenna the woman Adam didn't know he was looking for? Can she help him turn a temporary stay into something more…permanent?
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They stood there for a heartbeat that felt like a lifetime, staring at each other
When was the last time heâd impulsively kissed a woman? This had been thoroughly spontaneous, and he was glad. If heâd stopped to think first, he might not have done it.
Adam cleared his throat. âIâll round up my kids.â
Brenna nodded, bemused.
Neither of them said anything else, but when he got to the back door, he couldnât resist looking over his shoulder at her. She remained in the same spot, motionless. Except that sheâd pressed her fingers to her lips.
As he stepped through the door, a whisper of sound followed him.
He thought it might have been wow.
Dear Reader,
I grew up surrounded by a lot of happy chaosârelatives visiting, friends in and out of the house and pets underfoot. (At one point we owned three dogs, two cats and a ferret, all of whom played together.) An adult now with kids of my own, I am definitely carrying on the chaotic tradition.
In Mistletoe Mommy I bring that tradition to Mistletoe, Georgia. Brenna Pierce is a pet sitter who thinks the biggest complication in her life is a broken-down carâuntil Dr. Adam Varner and his three children roll into town for summer vacation! Trying to get her self-owned business up and running, Brenna doesnât have time for romance. And Adam certainly isnât looking for a relationship. He already has his hands full trying to bond with a teenage son, surly âtweenâ daughter and a little girl obsessed with getting a cat for her fifth birthday. Yet, amid the chaos of animals and kids, Brenna and Adam discover love and something that feels remarkably like family.
This is my third book in the 4 SEASONS IN MISTLETOE miniseries, and I hope you enjoy reading them as much as Iâve loved writing them! Watch for the series conclusion, Mistletoe Hero, in October 2009.
Wishing you only the happiest chaos,
Tanya
Mistletoe Mommy
Tanya Michaels
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
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 nearly twenty books and is a two-time recipient of the 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 preschoolers and an unpredictable cat, but you can visit Tanya online at www.tanyamichaels.com.
This book is dedicated to the caring and
hardworking ladies of Koala T. Care Pet Sitting and Dog Walking.
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
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter One
The day Brenna Pierce was having would be enough to drive any woman crazy. Which, in Brennaâs case, would actually be an improvement, because at least she would be driving somewhere.
Instead, she paced alongside a curvy stretch of blacktop in the pounding late-June heat. Her stepfather had raised her to believe that swearing was vulgar, but now, sweaty and exasperated, Brenna mentally chanted a stream of four-letter words, running them together in an all-purpose Ãber-Curse. Coincidentally, loan was a four-letter wordâand something she might have to apply for soon.
Sheâd been praying her ancient hatchback would make it through this summer, but the faded green car appeared to be on its last legs. Er, tires.
Her cell phone wasnât currently working, either. No bars here. Maybe sheâd unintentionally discovered Mistletoe, Georgiaâs answer to the Bermuda Triangle, a magnolia-lined stretch of asphalt where all things mechanical sputtered and died. Investigating scientists could name it the Brenna Straightaway.
To find a patch with better reception, sheâd climbed out of the car. Her pacing hadnât netted any results yet, but she couldnât cover more than a few yards without taking along the vehicleâs occupant, Lady Evelyn. Wiping damp strands of coppery hair away from her face, Brenna glanced through the open window. Lady Evelyn, a Yorkshire terrier, sat in the back seat wearing her safety restraint harness as imperiously as though it were crown jewels. The Yorkie glared, unamused by first the lack of air-conditioningâfixing the A/C would cost more than the car was worthâand now the unscheduled stop.
At least Brenna had managed to almost coast to the shoulder. Though the vehicle wasnât as out of the way as she would have liked, it also wasnât in the middle of the road.
Reaching inside, she patted her canine companion on the head. âWhat do you say, Evelyn? Wanna get out and help me push?â
Beneath the pink bow holding up silky hair, the dogâs dark eyes seemed incredulous. Surely you jest. Iâm a prizewinning purebred. I have ribbons. I donât do manual labor.
Hearing doggie voices in her head couldnât possibly be a good sign. I have got to get out of the heat. Even more importantly, Brenna had to reach Patch by three-thirty. Four oâclock at the latest.
