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Saving The Single Dad
Cheryl Harper
His son and daughter—They are her family, tooChristina Braswell would do anything for her divorced best friend’s kids, including help their father. Park ranger and sudden single dad Brett Hendrix inspires trust and has everyone’s back. But Christina’s torn between loyalty and a deepening attachment to the handsome Sweetwater, Tennessee, lawman. Brett’s not making it any easier…she's finally feeling as if she belongs somewhere.
His son and daughter—
They are her family, too
Christina Braswell would do anything for her divorced best friend’s kids, including help their father. Park ranger and sudden single dad Brett Hendrix inspires trust and has everyone’s back. But Christina’s torn between loyalty and a deepening attachment to the handsome Sweetwater, Tennessee, lawman. Brett’s not making it any easier—Christina’s finally feeling as if she belongs somewhere.
CHERYL HARPER discovered her love for books and words as a little girl, thanks to a mother who made countless library trips and an introduction to Laura Ingalls Wilder’s Little House stories. Whether stories she reads are set in the prairie, the American West, Regency England or Earth a hundred years in the future, Cheryl enjoys strong characters who make her laugh. Now Cheryl spends her days searching for the right words while she stares out the window and her dog, Jack, snoozes beside her. And she considers herself very lucky to do so.
For more information about Cheryl’s books, visit her online at cherylharperbooks.com (http://www.cherylharperbooks.com) or follow her on Twitter, @cherylharperbks (https://twitter.com/CherylHarperBks).
Also By Cheryl Harper (#u353e52af-a712-5854-abe6-e3630d7c72ef)
Otter Lake Ranger Station
Smoky Mountain Sweethearts
Lucky Numbers
A Home Come True
Keeping Cole’s Promise
Heart’s Refuge
Winner Takes All
The Bluebird Bet
A Minute on the Lips
Discover more at millsandboon.co.uk (http://www.millsandboon.co.uk)
Saving the Single Dad
Cheryl Harper
www.millsandboon.co.uk (http://www.millsandboon.co.uk)
ISBN: 978-1-474-08501-4
SAVING THE SINGLE DAD
© 2018 Cheryl Harper
Published in Great Britain 2018
by Mills & Boon, an imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers 1 London Bridge Street, London, SE1 9GF
All rights reserved including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in any form. This edition is published by arrangement with Harlequin Books S.A.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, locations and incidents are purely fictional and bear no relationship to any real life individuals, living or dead, or to any actual places, business establishments, locations, events or incidents. Any resemblance is entirely coincidental.
By payment of the required fees, you are granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right and licence to download and install this e-book on your personal computer, tablet computer, smart phone or other electronic reading device only (each a “Licensed Device”) and to access, display and read the text of this e-book on-screen on your Licensed Device. Except to the extent any of these acts shall be permitted pursuant to any mandatory provision of applicable law but no further, no part of this e-book or its text or images may be reproduced, transmitted, distributed, translated, converted or adapted for use on another file format, communicated to the public, downloaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of publisher.
® and ™ are trademarks owned and used by the trademark owner and/or its licensee. Trademarks marked with ® are registered with the United Kingdom Patent Office and/or the Office for Harmonisation in the Internal Market and in other countries.
www.millsandboon.co.uk (http://www.millsandboon.co.uk)
“Thank you for keeping my kids safe, Christina.”
Brett decided to take a chance, and wrapped an arm around her shoulders to squeeze her closer. Growing up, she’d always smelled of hair spray and drugstore perfume. Tonight Christina might as well have sprayed a perfume named Home.
Christina blinked. “Wow. I didn’t think you could surprise me, but tonight, with those words, you’ve done it.”
Because he’d been so rigid.
She was right. Something was changing inside him, probably thanks to an unrelenting pressure. If she knew that two urges were battling for control inside him, she’d be shocked. He was either going to kiss her or run for cover. There, in the warm glow of home, feeling connected, it seemed like the most natural thing in the world to press his lips to hers. What would she do?
Dear Reader (#u353e52af-a712-5854-abe6-e3630d7c72ef),
Saving the Single Dad started while I was eavesdropping at work. (Note: beware the quiet writer.) A man stepped out of a meeting to take a call from his son. The reason? His son needed help negotiating some kind of agreement with his very clever sister. It was charming, but when Dad ended the call with a sweet “I love you, son,” I was hooked. All I had to do was dream up the right heroine.
In Saving the Single Dad, Christina and Brett both have sharp edges, but such soft spots for kids and family that it was easy to help them fall in love. I hope you enjoy their story.
To find out more about my books and what’s coming next, please visit me at cherylharperbooks.com (http://www.cherylharperbooks.com).
Cheryl
Contents
Cover (#u1103b1af-3be8-5779-b8a9-fde564235257)
Back Cover Text (#u48f963a9-82a7-54e7-b9ce-6fb980e3f037)
About the Author (#u739cf592-c973-5c0e-8836-ad2ae8a01f71)
Booklist (#u8171d69f-cb76-5650-8371-7c905bd00277)
Title Page (#u1f9d2b26-8279-52f9-9e1e-9a7036a639c5)
Copyright (#u3f7fe372-04f7-59e0-8802-1b2367d9900c)
Introduction (#ueca99586-c30d-5707-b847-1163d15f002e)
Dear Reader (#ubf73861d-5c98-594e-81ec-5635fa8998e0)
CHAPTER ONE (#ueb0f7f1a-e3b8-5786-95a4-38b61ffe70fa)
CHAPTER TWO (#u09cfa36e-85c1-5116-a6a8-907ba7dfa823)
CHAPTER THREE (#u189883f3-1043-5ddb-8ef6-9d22917a6aaf)
CHAPTER FOUR (#u3edc526e-4592-5b53-a503-0be6ae244ed5)
CHAPTER FIVE (#u89814f1f-2538-5fdd-a64c-eb33ab92f16e)
CHAPTER SIX (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER SEVEN (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER EIGHT (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER NINE (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER TEN (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER ELEVEN (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER TWELVE (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER THIRTEEN (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER FOURTEEN (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER FIFTEEN (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER SIXTEEN (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN (#litres_trial_promo)
Extract (#litres_trial_promo)
About the Publisher (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER ONE (#u353e52af-a712-5854-abe6-e3630d7c72ef)
CHRISTINA BRASWELL HAD already had enough of Monday, but it was only eight o’clock and the breakfast rush was in full swing. Finding her inner peace in the chatter and bustle that filled the combination camp store, marina and no-frills diner at the Otter Lake Campground was impossible.
Her inner peace had always been elusive like that. She focused on the view through the window. Otter Lake gleamed outside. The campground was situated in a quiet cove of the lake, a shadowy forest and the steep rise of Yanu Falls forming a serene landscape.
Which was almost the perfect contrast for the controlled chaos of the busy diner.
“I missed my favorite waitress this weekend,” Woody Butler said as he yanked up his camo ball cap and smoothed down a healthy shock of white hair.
“Your wife steal the keys to the truck again?” Christina flipped over the porcelain coffee cup and poured black coffee to the rim. She was his favorite; Woody would swill coffee for hours and talk her ear off along the way before always leaving the same five-dollar tip.
Typical day ending in Y around here.
If he’d ever caught any of the fish he liked to tell her about, he’d done it before she started working behind the counter.
“Naw, you know better’n that, Chrissy,” he said with a grin. “That wife of mine don’t care what I do, so long’s I stay out of her hair.” He waggled his eyebrows. “That’s why I like to hang out here with you.”
Right. Christina had often wondered what lucky lady had married Woody right after Noah unloaded the ark, but they had discovered the key to long-term marital bliss: lots and lots of space.
Woody spent most of his hours telling waitresses fish stories. All in all, his hobby was harmless.
“You want the usual?” she asked out of habit. The menu was limited here, but the food was good enough to appease the tourists staying at the campground and enough locals from Sweetwater to keep a steady crowd coming through the place.
“Well, now...lemme see.” Woody squinted at the two pages of menu and Christina tilted her head back and rolled her shoulders. Someday she would snap. The menu never changed. He had it memorized. Just about every person through the doors had been here often enough to recite the thing from memory, and still, this “lemme see” moment. There was no doubt in her mind that she was half a step above the world’s worst morning-shift waitress, but now that her best friend had left town and taken Christina’s car with her, this job was critical.
“I’ll have me the pancakes with two eggs, over easy, and crispy bacon.” Woody slapped the plastic-covered menu down as if he couldn’t be prouder of himself for making that difficult decision. “You make sure Monroe gets the bacon crispy now.” He pointed a finger. “I’d hate to leave a bad tip.”
“Yes, Christina, I’ll have the usual. Thank you for asking.” How hard was that to say?
Christina snatched up the menu, plopped it down on the leaning stack at the end of the counter and stuck her head in the window. “Short stack, two over easy, burn the bacon.” The kid manning the griddle waved his spatula. Monroe didn’t say much, but around here, Christina considered it a blessing. Until the rush started, she, Monroe and Luisa barely spoke. Every morning they enjoyed the warm glow of sunrise spreading across the lake. It was the only real perk of the job.
And of all the jobs she’d had, the Otter Lake Campground was her favorite, even with the annoyance and noise customers brought.
“You sure are looking nice today. Real...” Woody paused as he stared up at the ceiling, searching for the right word. Whatever adjective he picked, it was bound to be a doozy. “Swimsuit model–like.”
Christina rubbed the center of her forehead in the effort to soothe the throb that had kicked up. If she thought about what that meant for too long, the throb would spread. He was proud of it and never meant to hurt her, but why couldn’t she ever inspire “first grade teacher–like” or even “girl next door.”
Then she would have blended easily with the good citizens of Sweetwater, Tennessee, something she’d never managed to do.
No one had ever disagreed she was pretty; few had ever called her nice.
When her cell phone rang, Christina pulled it out of her tight jeans pocket and checked the caller ID.
Her best friend. She didn’t want to talk to Leanne. She wanted to shout at Leanne.
Woody leaned forward as if he could read the number across the counter, but Christina turned away and answered the call.
“I’m at work. I can’t talk.” Christina walked down to the quietest corner, where she could see the boats lined up at the dock. Most of the early-morning mist had burned off already. The weather forecast was for a beautiful, warm day.
“If you’d answered any of my other calls, we might have had some time to talk when it was convenient,” Leanne snapped. Christina immediately straightened.
“Are you okay?” she asked, and covered her ear with one hand. There was something about the tremor in Leanne’s voice that reminded her of the bad times. It had been almost ten years since her best friend had dumped her drug problem, but that tremor had scared Christina enough that she’d never forget it.
“Fine. Just missing my kids.” Leanne laughed breathlessly. “And no one in your crummy town will answer their phones.”
“My crummy town?” They’d grown up here together, two poor girls with busted families in a trailer park at the dead end of a dusty gravel road. For a long time, they’d been tighter than sisters. Christina listened as Leanne took a drag on something. She hoped it was a cigarette.
“Brett? Have you been calling Brett?” Christina tightened her grip on her phone until her hand ached. Thanks to this ill-conceived disappearing act, Leanne’s ex-husband, Brett, had run out of patience with her. If Leanne pushed this, ignored his latest demand that her only contact with their kids be in person and only when he was around, Brett might eliminate all her visitation rights. What was she thinking? “You know that’s a bad idea. Give him space. He’ll come around.”
