THE CAMELOT CRIER
ABOUT TOWN: Newport News, Virginia
Recipe for Romance?
Camelotâs most infamous playboy has developed a sweet tooth. Cord Kendrick, second son of the Kendricks of Camelot, has been seen in the company of caterer Madison OâMalley. The innocent beauty, best known for her heavenly muffins, is a departure from the models and starlets Cord is known for romancing, and Newport News is a far cry from the jet-setting bachelorâs favored haunts. Although the Kendrick family has offered no comment on the simmering romance, sources say Cord has been seen spending an awful lot of time not only with Madison, but with her family, as wellâa sure sign that things are heating up in any relationship. But is this sweet-as-sin chef more than Cordâs latest indulgence?
Dear Reader,
Weâre smack in the middle of summer, which can only mean long, lazy days at the beach. And do we have some fantastic books for you to bring along! We begin this month with a new continuity, only in Special Edition, called THE PARKS EMPIRE, a tale of secrets and lies, love and revenge. And Laurie Paige opens the series with Romancing the Enemy. A schoolteacher who wants to avenge herself against the man who ruined her family decides to move next door to the manâs son. But things donât go exactly as planned, as she finds herself fallingâ¦for the enemy.
Stella Bagwell continues her MEN OF THE WEST miniseries with Her Texas Ranger, in which an officer whoâs come home to investigate a murder fins complications in the form of the girl he loved in high school. Victoria Pade begins her NORTHBRIDGE NUPTIALS miniseries, revolving around a town famed for its weddings, with Babies in the Bargain. When a woman hoping to reunite with her estranged sister finds instead her widowed husband and her children, she winds up playing nanny to the whole crew. Can wife and mother be far behind? THE KENDRICKS OF CAMELOT by Christine Flynn concludes with Prodigal Prince Charming, in which a wealthy playboy tries to help a struggling caterer with her business and becomes much more than just her business partner in the process. Brand-new author Mary J. Forbes debuts with A Forever Family, featuring a single doctor dad and the woman he hires to work for him. And the men of the CHEROKEE ROSE miniseries by Janis Reams Hudson continues with The Other Brother, in which a woman who always contend her handsome neighbor as one of her best friends suddenly finds herself looking at him in a new light.
Happy reading! And come back next month for six new fabulous books, all from Silhouette Special Edition.
Gail Chasan
Senior Editor
To Christine Rimmer, a wonderful writer and dear friend,
with thanks for the title of this book!
admits to being interested in just about everything, which is why she considers herself fortunate to have turned her interest in writing into a career. She feels that a writer gets to explore it all and, to her, exploring relationshipsâespecially the intense, bittersweet or even lighthearted relationships between men and womenâis fascinating.
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Epilogue
âMadison OâMalley, this hereâs the nicest thing anybodyâs done for me all week.â Grinning like a young boy, the burly construction worker tipped back his hard hat and swiped a fingerful of frosting from the cupcake in his hand. The flame flickered and danced on the small candle stuck in the fluffy chocolate. âI canât believe you remembered.â
âShe remembers everybodyâs birthday,â the rangy welder on his right informed him. âThe cupcake she baked me for my birthday even had sprinkles on it.â
âYeah? Did she put your name on it, like she did mine here?â
The shorter man nodded at the white icing loops that spelled out Tiny.
âShe sure did. Didnât you, Madison?â
âI sure did, Jake.â Madisonâs smile came easily, her brown eyes sparkling with the pleasure it gave her to make one of her customerâs day just a little special. She baked birthday cupcakes for all the customers on her route, once she got to know them, and she always put their name and a candle on the little treat. âI just didnât know if you liked chocolate or carrot cake better. If youâll tell me, Iâll remember for next year.â
Tiny told her that what sheâd given him was just fine, and walked off, still grinning.
The welder she knew only as Jake took a cellophane-wrapped muffin from the display on the side of the gleaming silver catering truck and handed her a dollar.
âMorning, Madison.â Another of the forty customers crowding toward her held out a five. âIâm taking two poppy seed and a banana.â
âI have coffee and a ham-and-cheese roll here,â a voice from behind him announced.
âSame here.â Another worker, this one unfamiliar, took Jakeâs place. He handed her two five-dollar bills. âThatâs for me and Sid back there.â