The Man She Should Have Married

Testing Those Family Ties

Marrying into the elite Britton family had been hard for Olivia. Becoming a widow and raising her daughter alone had been tougher. Or so she thought. Her mother-in-law wanted custody of little Thea, and Olivia was desperate for help. But her best option was another Britton, the devastatingly charming Matt...the man she should have married.

Matt had vowed to look after Olivia and be a father figure to Thea while remaining loyal to the brother he’d lost. With Olivia needing him more than ever he knew the time had come to tell her exactly how he felt. Admitting his true feelings for Olivia could tear his family apart...yet it might also be the start of a new family for them both.

“Maybe I should invite myself to dinner,” Matt said lightly.

Olivia looked at him. “Seriously?”

“Seriously.” He grinned. “Single guys don’t get many home-cooked meals.”

Once again, she hesitated before answering, “Well, I know Thea will be thrilled if you stay to dinner.”

“Only Thea? What about you?”

“Are you digging for a compliment?”

“Everyone likes compliments.”

“Okay. I’m glad you want to have dinner with us. There. Are you satisfied?”

Now that the tone of their conversation had changed, he decided to make one more attempt to burrow through her defenses. “I was hoping you’d say you liked me, too.”

“Of course I like you, Matt. You’re part of the family.”

Because they were now approaching her mother’s house, he let the comment go without answering.

* * *

The Crandell Lake Chronicles: Small town, big hearts

The Man She Should Have Married

Patricia Kay

www.millsandboon.co.uk

Having formerly written as Trisha Alexander, PATRICIA KAY is a USA TODAY bestselling author of more than forty-eight novels of contemporary romance and women’s fiction. She lives in Houston, Texas. To learn more about her, visit her website at www.patriciakay.com.

This book is dedicated to all the amazing women in my life. I don’t know how any woman survives without girlfriends. Your friendship and support has meant the world to me. I love you all!

Contents

Cover

Back Cover Text

Introduction

Title Page

About the Author

Dedication

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

Extract

Copyright

Chapter One

Crandall Lake, Texas

Mid-October...

Olivia Britton grinned at her cousin, the newly married Eve Crenshaw. “I’m so happy you’re here!”

Eve laughed. “You’ve already said that at least ten times.”

“I know. But I am. I’ve missed you.” In fact, Olivia couldn’t believe how much she’d missed Eve.

“Oh, come on, Liv. I’ve only been gone six weeks. And we’ve texted and talked on the phone almost every day.”

“It’s not the same,” Olivia insisted. “You’re not here. We can’t meet for lunch or have dinner together or just sit and talk for hours. And Thea misses you, too!” Thea, short for Dorothea, was Olivia’s four-year-old daughter.

Eve nodded. “I know. But no matter where I am, I’ll always be here for you...and Thea. You know that.” She drank some of her wine, then reached over and squeezed Olivia’s knee. “And I’m here now.”

The cousins were sitting on either end of the sofa in Olivia’s living room. Their children were settled upstairs for the night and it was blessedly quiet, so Olivia hoped they were all asleep. They should be. It was after eleven, and she and Eve could finally talk without curious ears.

Olivia sighed. Eve wasn’t just her cousin. She was also her best friend, someone Olivia had always looked up to, someone she’d known was just minutes away for a hug, a shoulder to cry on or a listening ear. The only person in the world who knew everything about her—well, almost everything—and could be completely trusted.

But now Eve would be spending the majority of her time in either Los Angeles or Nashville, where her new husband (and the twins’ birth father), the famous and fabulous Adam Crenshaw—composer and lead singer of the band Version II—had two magnificent homes.

Eve, along with her twins Nathan and Natalie, had come back to Crandall Lake for the weekend to join in the family celebration of Olivia’s mother’s birthday.

Olivia sighed again. She was thrilled for Eve. Her cousin had waited a long time for some true happiness. But Olivia also loved seeing her daughter with her older cousins, both of whom Thea adored. And now that Eve and the twins had settled in Los Angeles for the school year, nothing would ever be the same again, no matter what Eve said.

Eve was still talking, still making an obvious attempt to reassure Olivia. “I’ll be coming to Crandall Lake a lot. And you’ll be visiting us wherever we are. And you know, I’ve been thinking. If you want to, you and Thea can even travel with us when Adam has a concert and we’re able to go with him.”

“I have a job, you know.” But wouldn’t it be wonderful to be free of everything tying her down and just take Thea and go, the way Eve was suggesting? “Besides, I don’t think I should leave my mom.” Norma was newly diagnosed as a diabetic—something their family seemed to be genetically disposed to—and was having some trouble dealing with the disease.