Linda Warren - Madison's Children

They weakened more as his eyes traveled over her.

“Do you know how good you look?”

“I just put on warm clothes.”

“They’re certainly warming me up.”

She thumbed toward the fireplace. “It’s the fire.”

“Not unless it has blue, blue eyes, a curvy body and blond hair.”

They stared at each other for a long moment. Almost in slow motion his hand circled her neck and pulled her forward. His lips touched hers tentatively at first and then the warmth of the room, the warmth of each other engulfed them.

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Dear Reader,

When I was asked to write what Harlequin novels mean to me, I was happy to do so. Back in the sixties I was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis and had a hard time dealing with the drastic changes in my life. A friend gave me a box of Harlequin books. I was hooked. Whatever I was going through, I could open a Harlequin novel and lose myself in happy ever after. It didn’t take away the pain, but the books made me feel better, made me believe in love and happiness.

After reading so many books, my family encouraged me to write one. I thought they were crazy. But the more I thought about it the more I liked the idea of giving someone else that special gift of feeling better just by reading the written word. It was a dream. No way could it come true for a country girl from Smetana, Texas. But with hard work and perseverance my dream became a reality. I’m working on my twenty-fifth book, and it is the greatest feeling in the world. Thank you, Harlequin, and happy 60th anniversary from all of us who dare to dream.

With love and thanks,

Linda Warren

P.S. It makes my day to hear from readers. You can e-mail me at Lw1508@aol.com or write me at P.O. Box 5182, Bryan, TX 77805 or visit my Web site at www.lindawarren.net or www.myspace.com/authorlindawarren. Your letters will be answered.

Award-winning, bestselling author Linda Warren has written twenty-four books for Harlequin Superromance and Harlequin American Romance. She grew up in the farming and ranching community of Smetana, Texas, the only girl in a family of boys. She loves to write about Texas, and from time to time scenes and characters from her childhood show up in her books. Linda lives in College Station, Texas, not far from her birthplace, with her husband, Billy, and a menagerie of wild animals, from Canada geese to bobcats. Visit her Web site at www.lindawarren.net.

A special thanks to Kim Lenz for going above and beyond in sharing her hometown of Milano, Texas.

And Melinda Siegert for explaining a nervous stomach.

And Susan Robertson for bringing me up to speed on all things little boys. And to Luke for answering pesky questions.

And Lara Chapman for kindly offering information on Giddings, Texas.

And Naomi Giroux, RN, for graciously sharing her knowledge of ovarian cancer.

Also, The American Cancer Society for their invaluable information.

All errors are strictly mine.

I dedicate this book to the wonderful editors at

Harlequin Books who have influenced my work and my

life. With the sale of my first book in 1999, I had the

good fortune to work with Paula Eykelhof, Executive

Editor, who guided me through the new-author nervous

jitters with patience, kindness and skill. She is, to me,

the very best example of an editor.

And Kathleen Scheibling, Senior Editor, Harlequin

American Romance. My good luck held when Kathleen

was appointed my editor. She follows in Paula’s

footsteps with her talent, insight and understanding.

She’s an exceptional editor,

and makes my writing life a joy.

Also, Wanda Ottewell, Senior Editor, Harlequin

Superromance. I was nervous when I first met Wanda,

but her warmth and friendliness put me at ease.

A true Harlequin editor.

Thank you, ladies, and happy anniversary!

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

CHAPTER TWENTY

EPILOGUE

SOMETHING ABOUT BEING the good sister made Madison Belle want to be bad.

Very bad.

She laughed at the thought, the sound snatched away by the late November breeze. Hunching low, she kneed her horse, Sadie, on, faster and faster as they flew over hills and valleys, slicing effortlessly through the wind. They cantered into the barn, the chill nipping at her bare nape above her Carhartt jacket. But it felt great. She was alive and enjoying every minute.

As she jerked Sadie’s reins to stop, the horse reared her head, prancing, wanting to keep running. Maddie patted her neck. “Whoa, gal, we’re home.”

Maddie’s heart pounded from the exhilarating ride, and she took a moment to catch her breath. The barn was quiet, and the scent of alfalfa, leather and dust tickled her nose. Swinging her right leg over the back of Sadie, she dismounted. Her knees almost buckled and she had to grab the saddle. Darn!

Her sister Cait didn’t tell her that staying in the saddle most of the day made your butt numb and exhausted your muscles. She wasn’t that much of a city girl, was she?

Begrudgingly, she admitted she was. She’d been raised in Philadelphia by her mother. Summers and holidays she’d spent with her father, Dane Belle, on the High Five ranch in Texas. Dane had three daughters, all by separate wives.

Caitlyn, the oldest, had always lived on the ranch because her mother had passed away when Cait was born. Skylar, the youngest, was raised by her mother in Kentucky. Every year the sisters looked forward to their summers together.

Madison was the predictable middle child. Her sisters knew what she was going to do before she did it. Easy, compassionate Maddie—the consummate Goody Two-shoes. Even if she wanted to be different, Maddie knew she’d never change.

She undid the saddle cinch, took hold of the saddle and threw it over a sawhorse. The muscles tightened in her arms and she smiled. Oh, yeah. She was getting stronger. When Caitlyn had called her sisters home to face a financial crisis, Maddie had been skin and bones. Now she was healthy again, or she prayed she was.

After the crisis had been settled, she’d planned to return to Philadelphia. But she’d found peace here at High Five and her grandmother needed her.

Caitlyn had married the man of her dreams and moved to the neighboring Southern Cross ranch. They needed someone to run High Five. Maddie didn’t know a lot about ranching, but she was happy to stay and take over the reins.