Patricia Hagan - Race To The Altar

With that, Rick rolled over into the back seat and put his arms around Liz, drawing her close. “We’ll use our body heat,” he said, trying to sound casual about it when he was anything but.

“Hey, it’s a good thing we called a truce. Otherwise you’d have let me freeze to death.”

“No, I wouldn’t,” Rick said gruffly. “It’s late. Maybe we need to stop talking and go to sleep so the night will pass quickly.”

“I used to do that, you know. As a kid, I used to lay awake half the night on Christmas Eve so Santa Claus would hurry and come. Only, it didn’t work.”

“That’s what you get for believing in Santa Claus.”

“Oh, and you didn’t?” She turned her face to his.

Huskily Rick murmured, “If I did, I’d ask him to leave you in my stocking.”

Dear Reader,

May marks the celebration of “Get Caught Reading,” a national campaign the Association of American Publishers created to promote the sheer joy of reading. “Get Caught Reading” may be a phrase that’s familiar to you, but if not, we hope you’ll familiarize yourself with it by picking up the wonderful selections that Silhouette Special Edition has to offer….

Former NASA engineer Laurie Paige says that when she was young, she checked out The Little Engine That Could from the library fifty times. “I read it every week,” Laurie recalls. “I was so astounded that the library would lend books to me for free. I’ve been an avid reader ever since.” Though Laurie Paige hasn’t checked out her favorite childhood storybook for a while, she now participates in several local literacy fund-raisers and reads to young children in her community. Laurie is also a prolific writer, with nearly forty published Silhouette titles, including this month’s Something To Talk About.

Don’t miss the fun when a once-burned rancher discovers that the vivacious amnesiac he’s helping turns out to be the missing Stockwell heiress in Jackie Merritt’s The Cattleman and the Virgin Heiress. And be sure to catch all of THE CALAMITY JANES, five friends sharing the struggles and celebrations of life, starting with Do You Take This Rebel? by Sherryl Woods. And what happens when Willa and Zach learn they both inherited the same ranch? Find out in The Ties That Bind by Ginna Gray. Be sure to see who will finish first in Patricia Hagan’s Race to the Altar. And Judith Lyons pens a highly emotional tale with Lt. Kent: Lone Wolf.

So this May, make time for books. Remember how fun it is to browse a bookstore, hold a book in your hands and discover new worlds on the printed page.

Best,

Karen Taylor Richman

Senior Editor

www.millsandboon.co.uk

To Joe Kennedy,

one of the best racing PR reps

I ever had the pleasure of working with.

New York Times bestselling author Patricia Hagan had written and published over 2,500 short stories before selling her first book in 1971. With a background in English and journalism from the University of Alabama, Pat has won awards for radio, television, newspaper and magazine writing. Her hobbies include reading, painting and cooking. The author and her Norwegian husband, Erik, divide their time between their Florida retreat in Boca Raton and their home in Bergen, Norway.

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

Epilogue

Liz Mallory knew high heels and a business suit were not appropriate attire for a racetrack. But she couldn’t help it. On her way from New York to Daytona she had missed a connecting flight, and her luggage hadn’t made it. She had planned to change into neat slacks and a blouse once she got to her hotel. Instead, there was no time to even stop by a mall and buy anything, because the plane was late, and she’d had to come directly to the track.

So here she was, feeling as out of place as a Christmas tree on the Fourth of July.

She drove the rental car through the tunnel and into the infield, which reminded her of a huge circus, sprawling in all directions. Flags and balloons were flying, thousands of people were milling about, and it wasn’t even race day.

But that’s how it was at Daytona in February during Speed Weeks. She had learned that much, at least, during the brief time she’d had to study up on the sport since being given her new assignment.

Never in her wildest dreams had she thought she would find herself involved in the world of stock car racing. She knew absolutely zilch about it.

When she had said as much to Jeff Strohm, her boss at Star Media Enterprises, an advertising and public relations agency, he had told her she had better learn fast. Star had obtained the contract to represent Big Boy’s Pizza in their sponsorship for up-and-coming rookie driver Rick Castles, and Liz had been assigned as PR person only a week before the season opener at Daytona.

She had bought every book and magazine she could find on racing though hadn’t had time to read them all. But she wasn’t too worried about it. It was her job to market Rick Castles and get as much exposure as possible for his sponsor. It was PR plain and simple, and she knew how to do that.

She followed the map she had been given to the press parking lot, which had a chain link fence around it.

An attendant wearing an orange vest over his T-shirt held up a hand, and she promptly stopped and rolled down her window.

Sorry, lady.” He pointed to a sign that read Media Only.

“Well, that’s me,” she said cheerily, holding up the pass she had been given when she checked in at the speedway’s PR department.

The man shook his head. “That gets you into the pits. A parking decal gets you in here.”

“Maybe I’ve got one. They gave me so much stuff back there.” She fumbled through the big white envelope, then triumphantly held up the red-and-white decal.

“Lick it and put it on your windshield so I won’t have to stop you next time.”

“I sure will, and I’m sorry I didn’t know to do that. This is my first time, and—”

Behind her, a horn sounded impatiently.

She wet her finger, then rubbed it over the back of the decal and affixed it to the glass.

Satisfied, the attendant motioned her in.

It had been raining earlier in the day, and there were muddy places where the grass was worn down. She stepped out of the car and into a puddle, groaning as her heel sank to her ankle. She was going to have to pick her way along carefully and opted to leave her heavy briefcase behind.

Pausing beside the car, Liz gazed up at the crystal-blue sky and marveled at what a beautiful day it was. Not a cloud in sight, and a balmy breeze was blowing in from the ocean, just a few miles to the east.

Despite her trepidation over her new assignment, she was grateful for the tropical respite from the cold chill of New York in February.