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Twelfth Night Proposal
Karen Rose Smith
To love, or not to love?That is the question for widower Leo Montgomery, a boat designer who'd do anything to make his little .girl happy–except let himself fall for her sweet-faced nanny. Even if that nanny is staying in the bedroom riext door. And even if he can't keep khis mind off Verity Sumpter. Because beneath her drab clothes and plain-Jane glasses he senses there is a beautiful woman who could fill his heart with joy. And a woman who seems as wary of embracing love as he is. Still, can Leo find the courage to put a new spin on this beloved old play…?
“I’m exactly where I want to
be right now,”
Verity murmured softly, and he felt himself leaning toward her. Leo imagined she had slightly leaned toward him. The urge to reach out and run his thumb along her cheek was so strong, he balled his hand into a fist. He didn’t know what was going on today, but he didn’t like it.
Leo was twelve years older than this young woman who’d begun to fascinate him. He’d never given a glance to younger women before. Not only was she younger, but Leo saw vulnerability and innocence in Verity’s eyes. He could be wrong, but he doubted it. No matter what her life story, it was safest for him to keep his distance.
That was exactly what he was going to do.
Dear Reader,
What is the best gift you ever received? Chances are it came from a loved one and reflects to some degree the love you share. Or maybe the gift was something like a cruise or a trip to an exotic locale that raised the hope of finding romance and lasting love. Well, it’s no different for this month’s heroes and heroines, who will all receive special gifts that extend beyond the holiday season to provide a lifetime of happiness.
Karen Rose Smith starts off this month’s offerings with Twelfth Night Proposal (#1794)—the final installment in the SHAKESPEARE IN LOVE continuity. Set during the holidays, the hero’s love enables the plain-Jane heroine to become the glowing beauty she was always meant to be. In The Dating Game (#1795) by Shirley Jump, a package delivered to the wrong address lands the heroine on a reality dating show. Julianna Morris writes a memorable romance with Meet Me under the Mistletoe (#1796), in which the heroine ends up giving a widower the son he “lost” when his mother died. Finally, in Donna Clayton’s stirring romance Bound by Honor (#1797), the heroine receives a “life present” when she saves the Native American hero’s life.
When you’re drawing up your New Year’s resolutions, be sure to put reading Silhouette Romance right at the top. After all, it’s the love these heroines discover that reminds us all of what truly matters most in life.
With all best wishes for the holidays and a happy and healthy 2006.
Ann Leslie Tuttle
Associate Senior Editor
Twelfth Night Proposal
Karen Rose Smith
www.millsandboon.co.uk (http://www.millsandboon.co.uk)
To Jeanne Smith—Appreciation for the Bard was one of our first connections. Thanks for your friendship and support. With thanks to Stella Bagwell, my Texas Gulf authority.
Books by Karen Rose Smith
Silhouette Romance
* (#litres_trial_promo)Adam’s Vow #1075
* (#litres_trial_promo)Always Daddy#1102
* (#litres_trial_promo)Shane’s Bride#1128
† (#litres_trial_promo)Cowboy at the Wedding#1171
† (#litres_trial_promo)Most Eligible Dad #1174
† (#litres_trial_promo)A Groom and a Promise #1181
The Dad Who Saved Christmas #1267
‡ (#litres_trial_promo)Wealth, Power and a Proper Wife #1320
‡ (#litres_trial_promo)Love, Honor and a Pregnant Bride #1326
‡ (#litres_trial_promo)Promises, Pumpkins and Prince Charming #1332
The Night Before Baby #1348
‡ (#litres_trial_promo)Wishes, Waltzes and a Storybook Wedding #1407
Just the Man She Needed #1434
Just the Husband She Chose #1455
Her Honor-Bound Lawman #1480
Be My Bride? #1492
Tall, Dark & True #1506
Her Tycoon Boss #1523
Doctor in Demand #1536
A Husband in Her Eyes #1577
The Marriage Clause #1591
Searching for Her Prince #1612
With One Touch #1638
The Most Eligible Doctor #1692
Once Upon a Baby…#1737
Twelfth Night Proposal #1794
Silhouette Special Edition
Abigail and Mistletoe #930
The Sheriff’s Proposal #1074
His Little Girl’s Laughter #1426
Expecting the CEO’s Baby #1535
Their Baby Bond #1588
Take a Chance on Me #1599
Which Child Is Mine? #1655
Cabin Fever#1682
Silhouette Books
The Fortunes of Texas
Marry in Haste…
Logan’s Legacy
A Precious Gift
KAREN ROSE SMITH
award-winning author of over fifty published novels, enjoyed Shakespeare’s works when she studied them in college. As an English teacher, she particularly liked sharing them with her ninth and tenth graders, encouraging appreciation for the Bard’s plot lines, language and grasp of universal emotions. Then she never suspected crafting emotional and romantic stories would become her life’s work! Married for thirty-four years, she and her husband reside in Pennsylvania with their two cats, Ebbie and London. Readers can e-mail Karen through her Web site at www.karenrosesmith.com (http://www.karenrosesmith.com) or write to her at P.O. Box 1545, Hanover, PA 17331.
Cast of Characters
Leo Montgomery (Lead Character)—This angst-ridden dad thought he’d lost the only love of his life. Until he hired a nanny for his daughter and found her taking up residence in his home…and heart!
Verity Sumpter (Lead Character)—Ever since her twin brother’s death, this plain Jane had kept her true self hidden behind shapeless clothes and wire-rimmed glasses. But the widower and his adorable daughter suddenly had her wanting to shed her drab attire and embrace life.…
Heather Montgomery (Supporting Character)—This bubbly three-year-old longed for a mother. And she’d found the perfect candidate in her new nanny. But how could she convince her stubborn dad that sometimes children really do know best?
Contents
Prologue (#u25406131-657b-5b59-b9d3-5644ddf2d247)
Chapter One (#u516d7301-7aae-59df-8490-872ed78cb638)
Chapter Two (#u64a79d32-9fff-5483-96ac-790edc71c16c)
Chapter Three (#u553a2c17-b619-5c9b-92d4-4650eda93d89)
Chapter Four (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Five (#litres_trial_promo)
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)
Epilogue (#litres_trial_promo)
Prologue
Montgomery Boat Company
Avon Lake, Texas
Glancing at the TV in his office, Leo Montgomery saw paradise. Well, a spot that was supposed to be paradise. There was a lake and grass and trees and a guy dressed in a tuxedo. But it wasn’t the guy who captured Leo’s attention.
There was a woman. The perfect fantasy woman.
Leo glimpsed her face for a moment—maybe half a moment—less time than it took to take a breath. He caught the sparkling, huge brown eyes. Then she was turning…away from him. When she turned, his palms tingled to touch her long, curly brown hair with its red highlights reflecting the sun. The dress she wore was some wispy material. It was short and bared most of her back, the fabric molding to her long legs as she walked away from the camera and away from him. She handed the guy in the tuxedo a can of soda. Large red letters proclaimed its name—ZING. Leo’s gaze was still on the woman’s back and those curls. When she lifted a parasol, tilted it over her shoulder and walked away, the letters on the parasol spelled ZING, The Fantasy Soda. As the jingle for ZING filled the airwaves, she disappeared into the trees.
To Leo’s amazement, he found himself aroused…stirred in a way he hadn’t been stirred for a very long time. Since well before Carolyn’s death two years ago, for sure.
Giving himself a mental shake, willing his libido to calm down, Leo flicked off the TV with the remote. That fantasy woman on the screen was just that—a fantasy. He knew better than most men that fantasies don’t become reality. On the other hand, however, maybe he should think about getting involved with someone from his country club. As his sister, Jolene, told him often, Heather needed a mother. His daughter needed more than the nanny-housekeeper Jolene had just hired.
Heather needed a mother, and he didn’t want to sleep alone for the rest of his life.
Although the cursor on the computer screen blinked before him, Leo couldn’t forget the fantasy woman’s mass of reddish-brown curls, those long legs, that bare back.
He couldn’t remember a feature on the model’s face, but he supposed that was the whole idea—to charge a man’s fantasy. Nevertheless, Leo wasn’t the type of man to dwell on fantasies when reality was sitting right in front of him.
He checked the information on the computer with the boatyard orders on his desk. The dream woman forgotten, work filled his head. That’s the way he wanted it for now. Jolene’s advice might be sound, but he wasn’t ready for it. He wasn’t ready for involvement or commitment.
That’s just the way it was.
Chapter One
“Montgomery here,” Leo said as he flipped open his silver cell phone and stepped away from the boat trailer into the hot December sun.
“This is Verity. Heather’s nanny.”
The fact that he had to be reminded of her job position spoke of how little he’d paid attention to the new nanny. Maybe that was because he expected her to come and go as the rest had. Maybe it was because of her glasses, tied-back hair and oversize T-shirts. For almost a month she’d moved around like a ghost in his house, seemingly quite capable, as Jolene had predicted she would be, yet definitely always in the background.
Now he was on the alert because this call most probably concerned his daughter. “Verity, what is it?”
“It’s Heather. I didn’t want to bother you, but I thought you should know that she fell against the coffee table in the great room and cut her forehead.”
Leo’s heart pounded and he felt panic grip him. “Is she all right? Did you take her to the emergency room?”
“I applied pressure and used a butterfly bandage, but you might want to have her checked. Just tell me what you’d like me to do.”
