What happens when the hero comes home?
Dr. Brody McKenna has just returned home from serving as a medic in Afghanistan, and he has one more mission to fulfill....
Standing outside Kate Spencerâs sweetshop, he takes a deep breath. Going through that door will take courage, for heâs here to keep a promise made to his dying friend. Heâs prepared for tears or angerânot the deep attraction he feels for sparky-but-stressed Kate. One spontaneous offer of help later, this hero is surrounded by cupcakes, candy canesâand the greatest enticement to forget his past and take a new kind of risk.â¦
Dear Reader,
Iâm almost sad to write this Dear Reader letter because it means the McKenna brothers trilogy has come to an end. I loved each and every brother, and had a lot of fun writing their stories. Not only did these books let me return home to the place where I grew up, but they also presented lots of challenges and interesting story lines.
Heidi, the dog who first appears in Finnâs book, is based on my own real-life golden retriever, who died a few years ago. I enjoyed being able to bring her to life again on the page and having her become a big part of the McKenna family. But most of all, I really enjoyed writing about the military and its heroes. My father is retired from the military, and my husband is former military, so the sacrifice our troops make every day is very dear to me. I hope you enjoy Brodyâs story, and can relate to Elenaâs grandmaâs addiction to cupcakes (that one is all, uh, me. I love cupcakes!).
I love to hear from readers, so please visit my website (www.shirleyjump.com) or visit my blog (www.shirleyjump.blogspot.com), where I share family recipes and writing news. Stop on by and share a recipe, a favorite book, or just say hello!
Happy reading!
Shirley
New York Times bestselling author Shirley Jump didnât have the willpower to diet or the talent to master under-eye concealer, so she bowed out of a career in television and opted instead for a career where she could be paid to eat at her deskâwriting. At first, seeking revenge on her children for their grocery-store tantrums, she sold embarrassing essays about them to anthologies. However, it wasnât enough to feed her growing addiction to writing funny. So she turned to the world of romance novels, where messes are (usually) cleaned up before The End. In the worlds Shirley gets to create and control, the children listen to their parents, the husbands always remember holidays and the housework is magically done by elves. Though sheâs thrilled to see her books in stores around the world, Shirley mostly writes because it gives her an excuse to avoid cleaning the toilets and helps feed her shoe habit.
To learn more, visit her website at www.shirleyjump.com.
To the most heroic military man I knowâmy husband, who served his country, and has made me proud to be his wife in a thousand different ways. Not to mention, heâs the kind of guy who brings home cupcakes just because I had a hard day. He knows me well!
CHAPTER ONE
BRODY McKenna checked his third sore throat of the morning, prescribed the same prescription as he had twice beforeârest, fluids, acetaminophenâand tried to count his blessings. He had a dependable job as a family physician, a growing practice, and a close knit family living nearby. Heâd returned from his time overseas none the worse for wear, and should have been excited to get back to his job.
He wasnât.
The six-year-old patient headed out the door, with a sugar-free lollipop and a less harried mother. As they left, Helen Maguire, the nurse who had been with him since day one, and with Doc Watkins for fifteen years before that, poked her head in the door. âThatâs the last patient of the morning,â she said. A matronly figure in pink scrubs decorated with zoo animals, Mrs. Maguire had short gray hair and a smile for every patient, young or old. âWe have an hour until itâs time to start immunizations. And then later in the afternoon, weâll be doing sports physicals.â
Brodyâs mind drifted away from his next appointment and the flurry of activity in his busy Newton office. His gaze swept the room, the jars of supplies, so easy to order and stock here in America, always on hand and ready for any emergency. Every bandage, every tongue depressor, every stethoscope, reminded him. Launched him back to a hot country and a dusty dirt floor hut short on supplies and even shorter on miracles.
âDoc? Did you hear me?â Mrs. Maguire asked.
âOh, oh. Yes. Sorry.â Brody washed his hands, then dried them and handed the chart to Helen. Focus on work, he told himself, not on a moment in the past that couldnât be changed. Or on a country on the other side of the world, to those people he couldnât save.
Especially not on that.