Married too young, divorced too soon?
Jeff Wells hasnât seen his ex-wife, Maggie Russell, in years. Yet as they reunite to settle their son into his college dorm, Jeff discovers the attraction between them is still presentâand very strong. Yet so are the reasons they shouldnât be togetherâ¦
Still, whatâs the harm in giving in to their desire for a few days? No expectations, no strings. But the affair is so passionate, soon Jeff wants more. He wants what they used to have, only better. First he needs to convince Maggie this is their second chance at love and not simply a repeat of the past.
If there was some wayâ¦
âStop.â Jeff spoke the word aloud, opening his eyes to stifle the images forming in his head. He and Maggie had no reason to give things another try. Not even the lingering shades of love were enough to dispel the fear and doubt. And neither of them was willing to enter into another possible failure.
Too many miles and too many years separated him and Mags.
He pushed to his feet and headed back to the house. He would enjoy the time theyâd been given. He would facilitate fun memories. He would be Magsâs sexual fantasies come to lifeâ¦and let her be his.
And Sunday, when they parted ways, he would leave a part of his heart behindâthe part that lay deep in the pit of his stomach right then. The part that ached from its burden.
Dear Reader,
Iâm a sucker for âhow we metâ stories. I enjoy coming up with creative ways to bring the heroes and heroines together that first time. But Iâm an even bigger sucker for reunion stories.
Couples who enter a relationship with a history hanging over them jerk our heartstrings. From that instant they see each other for the first time in years, we feel the pull of that old attraction, but with it comes the stomach-churning fear of repeating past mistakes. We want so badly to believe theyâve learned and have changed enough to make things work this time.
We want them to prove true love is forever.
Making a new start isnât easy for Maggie and Jeffâtheir history is riddled with mistakes. The Kentucky woman and California man arenât the kids they once were, and theyâre miles apart in more ways than the distance between their homes. So when history starts repeating itself? Well, I hope you laugh, cry and cheer them on as much as I did!
Until next time,
Pamela Hearon
PAMELA HEARON grew up in Paducah, Kentucky, a place that infuses its inhabitants with Southern values and hospitality. Here she finds inspiration for her quirky characters, her storiesâ backdrops and her narrative voice. Pamela was a 2013 RITA® Award finalist and a Maggie Award finalist for her first Mills & Boon Superromance story, Out of the Depths. The Summer Place was a 2014 National Readersâ Choice Award finalist. Visit Pamela at pamelahearon.com, and on Facebook and Twitter.
To Nathan and Misty, whose love for each other is the stuff of romance legends.
Acknowledgments
Many thanks to the people who willingly share ideas and nuggets of insight, which give my characters depth and realism. I appreciate how they allow me to âpick their brainsâ when Iâm writing a storyâand I do it often. With that in mind, a special thanks goes out to certain individuals: my daughter, Heather Blackston, and my friend, Rita Dodd, for their help with Chicago locations; my friends, Dishona and Wesley Wright for the inspiration behind a particularly fun plot device; and my critique partners at WriteRomanceâSandra Jones, Maggie Van Well and Angela Campbellâfor their time, influence, suggestions, encouragement and belief in my writing ability.
Thanks to my editor, Karen Reid, at Mills & Boon Superromance, for her generous time and patience, which transform a good story into a great one.
Thanks to my agent, Jennifer Weltz of the Jean V. Naggar Literary Agency, for her perseverance on my behalf and her guidance along this journey.
And thanks to my husband, Dick, whose love and encouragement keep the belief of forever love strong in my mind and in my heartâ¦and keeps these stories coming.
CHAPTER ONE
NINETEEN DOLLARS...AND a divorce.
That was what the green jersey knit palazzo pants outfit ended up costing Maggie Russell in the long run, even though it had been on sale.
Of course, the purchase was frivolous. But, at the time, it represented the chance to step out of motherhood for a night and feel sexy again, an opportunity to celebrate turning twenty-one and finally reaching legal age despite the fact she was already married and the mother of a one-year-old.