Jon had touched herâin a very possessive male way.
Gabbyâs heartbeat thumped in her ears as she marched to her office. She could still feel the heat of his big hand burning through the seat of her khakis as heâd steadied her on the ladder.
It had taken every ounce of self-control to tell him to unhand her. What sheâd really wanted was to grab him by his shirt and, well, explore all those urges his touch had instantly brought to life.
While she might not like him, she was wise enough to understand that it wasnât always about liking the other person. Sometimes it was about pure animal attraction.
And when it came to Jon, it was very clear the animal in her liked the animal in him.
Dear Reader,
I loved writing The Last Goodbyeâwhich is Tylerâs storyâand I loved, loved, loved writing Jonâs story in One Good Reason. I didnât set out to write a sequel. I created Gabby as Tylerâs conscience and friend, but somehow, almost as soon as she appeared she morphed into an ex-girlfriend who, maybe, still cared too much. Then I gave Tyler a brother, because I didnât want him to be alone in his childhood, and along came Jon.
By the time Iâd finished Tyler and Allyâs story, I knew that Jon and Gabby had to meet each other. A guy like Jon with hyper-protective instincts and a woman like Gabby who is determined to make her own way in the world seemed destined to be together from where I sat. Not that either of them were ever going to be aware of that! That would take all the fun out of it.
Iâd like to think that while One Good Reason has some definite heavy momentsâan abusive parent is no laughing matterâthere is plenty of light and tenderness and love and hope amongst the hard stuff. People are hugely resilient, and love is a great healer.
I hope you enjoy reading Jon and Gabbyâs story. I love to hear from readers via my website at www.sarahmayberry.com.
Until next time, happy reading!
Sarah Mayberry
SARAH MAYBERRY lives by the seaside in Melbourne, Australia. She has recently married her partner of eighteen years and is enjoying their new home and fabulous but exhausting garden. Her goal for the next year is to learn how to prune the thirty-two different fruit and nut trees on their property and to be more organized. When sheâs not writing, she loves to cook, sleep, shop, read and watch movies. She really wishes going to the gym made it onto the âlovesâ list, but she makes herself go anyway. Long live ice cream!
I have to thank my husband for his endless patience
with me while I was writing this book.
That deadline was some doozy, my darling, but you fed
and watered me and mopped my fevered brow and I thank you from the bottom of my heart for your kindness and support. Where would I be without you? In my book, you are the ultimate hero.
I also want to thank Wanda for her endless faith in meâ
you said I could do it and I did. Phew!
January
JON ADAMSON WOKE WITH A START. Someone was in his room. A heartbeat later, he was on his feet, fists raised, every muscle tense as he squared up to the intruder.
âMate.â His brother held up his hands, took a step backward. âItâs just me.â
Jon dropped his fists. âYou should have knocked.â
âI did.â Tylerâs gaze flicked to the half-empty bottle of bourbon beside the bed. âSeveral times.â
The light was hazy in the room. Jon tried to guess the time. Nine in the morning? Ten? He reached for the jeans heâd dumped at the end of the bed when heâd finally crashed last night.
âI was up pretty late.â
He wasnât about to offer explanations for the bourbon or anything else. A man could have a few drinks at the end of the day. Besides, Tyler was the younger brotherâit was Jonâs job to be the heavy, not the other way around.
âWhat are you doing up this way?â he asked as he stepped into his jeans.
Jon had been back in Australia, living in their late fatherâs house in the rural Victorian town of Woodend for eleven months now. Tyler lived an hour and a half away in Melbourne, so the two of them didnât cross paths very often. Not that that would have changed even if they were geographically closer. Theyâd never been the kind of brothers who lived in each otherâs pocketsâwitness the ten years Jon had spent in Canada.
âI hadnât heard from you for a while. Thought Iâd better check in.â
Jon pulled his T-shirt over his head, aware of the unspoken questions behind his brotherâs words.
Why didnât you return my phone messages? Whatâs going on?
âIâve been busy.â
âYeah, I saw that. When did you knock down the wall between the kitchen and living room?â
âFigured both rooms would benefit from the light. Itâs all about open plan these days.â
âWhat happened to tidying up the yard and giving the place a lick of paint before we listed it?â
âIf youâre that desperate for the money, I can get a valuation done. Pay out your half.â
âItâs not about the money.â