The babyâs crib was empty!
Megan hurried down the stairs, then went still, her breath catching in her throat.
Stretched out on the sofa as much as his long legs would allow, Jake lay with baby Matthew, who was sound asleep, cradled securely against his chest.
The sight of the two of them togetherâthe strength of the one guarding the innocence and vulnerability of the otherâfilled Megan with such tenderness and such intense longing that her heart ached.
With his shaggy hair tousled, her ex-husband looked young and sorrow-free again. And Matthew, snuggled into the crook of Jakeâs muscular arms, was the picture of trusting contentmentâas if he knew, instinctively, that no harm would come to him as long as Jake was there.
How well Megan remembered that feeling.
And how very, very much she missed it!
Dear Reader,
Instead of writing your resolutions, I have the perfect way to begin the new yearâread this monthâs spectacular selection of Silhouette Special Edition romances! These exciting books will put a song in your heart, starting with another installment of our very popular MONTANA MAVERICKS seriesâ In Love With Her Boss by the stellar Christie Ridgway. Christie vows this year to âappreciate the time I have with my husband and sons and appreciate them for the unique people they are.â
Lindsay McKenna brings us a thrilling story from her MORGANâS MERCENARIES: DESTINYâS WOMEN series with Woman of Innocence, in which an adventure-seeking beauty meets up with the legendaryâand breathtakingâmercenary of her dreams! The excitement continues with Victoria Padeâs next tale, On Pins and Needles, in her A RANCHING FAMILY series. Here, a skeptical sheriff falls for a lovely acupuncturist who finds the wonder cure for all his doubtsâher love!
And what does a small-town schoolteacher do when she finds a baby on her doorstep? Find out in Nikki Benjaminâs heartwarming reunion romance Rookie Cop. A love story youâre sure to savor is The Older Woman by Cheryl Reavis, in which a paratrooper captain falls head over heels for the tough-talking nurse living next door. This year, Cheryl wants to âstop and smell the roses.â I also recommend Lisette Belisleâs latest marriage-of-convenience story, The Wedding Bargain, in which an inheritanceâand two heartsâare at stake! Lisette believes that the new year means âa fresh start, and vows to meet each new day with renewed faith, energy and a sense of humor.â
Iâm pleased to celebrate with you the beginning of a brand-new year. May you also stop to smell the roses, and find many treasures in Silhouette Special Edition the whole year through!
Enjoy!
Karen Taylor Richman
Senior Editor
was born and raised in the Midwest, but after years in the Houston area, she considers herself a true Texan. Nikki says sheâs always been an avid reader. (Her earliest literary heroines were Nancy Drew, Trixie Belden and Beany Malone.) Her writing experience was limited, however, until a friend started penning a novel and encouraged Nikki to do the same. One scene led to another, and soon she was hooked.
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 Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Epilogue
A shrill ring cut through Megan Cahillâs deep, dreamless sleep, drawing her into reluctant wakefulness. Eyes still closed, she responded automatically, reaching out with one hand, aiming to shut off the alarm clock on her nightstand. When her fingers brushed against the solid, fabric-covered cushions lining the back of her living room sofa, she groaned softly, shifted and sat up.
Vaguely aware that the ringing had stopped through no effort of her own, yet still too groggy to place exactly where it had come from, Megan rubbed her bleary eyes. Then she looked around the sparsely furnished living room of the house she had recently bought from her old friend, Emma Dalton Griffin, as she tried to collect her thoughts.
Across the room, the television screen flickered luminously as the host and hostess of an early-morning network talk show bantered back and forth, their low tones much too cheery for her liking. She must have left the television on the night before. Must have fallen asleep in front of it, she thought, eyeing her wrinkled white T-shirt and navy-blue shorts with distaste. Just as she had done so many nights since she had moved back to Serenity, Texas, two years ago.
The shrill ring sounded again, jarring Megan fully awake. Someone was jabbing at her front doorbell with an awfully impatient finger. But why? she wondered. What could anyone want with her so early in the morning?
She couldnât recall making any plans for the day that included anyone except herself. And in the two years she had lived in Serenity, she had avoided making the kind of close friends who would ask for her help in an emergency. Maybe her elderly neighbors, living across the street, needed assistance of some sort. She was on speaking terms with Mr. and Mrs. Bukowski, after all, though only in the most casual sense.