Susan Meier - Marriage Made In Monte Calanetti

Deep in the Tuscan countryside nestles the picturesque village of Monte Calanetti. Famed for its world-renowned vineyards, the village is also home to the crumbling but beautiful Palazzo di Comparino.

Empty for months, rumors of a new owner are spreading like wildfire…and that’s before the village is chosen as the setting for the royal wedding of the year!

It’s going to be a roller coaster of a year, but will wedding bells ring out in Monte Calanetti for anyone else?

Find out in this fabulously heartwarming, uplifting and thrillingly romantic new eight-book continuity from Mills & Boon ®romance!

A Bride for the Italian Boss by Susan Meier

Return of the Italian Tycoon by Jennifer Faye Available August 2015

Reunited by a Baby Secret by Michelle Douglas

Soldier, Hero…Husband? by Cara Colter

His Lost-and-Found Bride by Scarlet Wilson

The Best Man & the Wedding Planner by Teresa Carpenter

His Princess of Convenience by Rebecca Winters Saved by the CEO by Barbara Wallace

SUSAN MEIERis an author of over fifty books for Mills & Boon. The Tycoon’s Secret Daughter was a RITA ®Award finalist, and Nanny for the Millionaire’s Twins won the Book Buyer’s Best award and was a finalist in the National Reader’s Choice awards. She is married and has three children. One of eleven children, she loves to write about the complexity of families and totally believes in the power of love.

I want to thank the lovely editors at Mills & Boon for creating such a great continuity! Everyone involved LOVED this idea. Thank you!

Contents

Cover

Introduction The Vineyards of Calanetti Saying “I do” under the Tuscan sun… Deep in the Tuscan countryside nestles the picturesque village of Monte Calanetti. Famed for its world-renowned vineyards, the village is also home to the crumbling but beautiful Palazzo di Comparino. Empty for months, rumors of a new owner are spreading like wildfire…and that’s before the village is chosen as the setting for the royal wedding of the year! It’s going to be a roller coaster of a year, but will wedding bells ring out in Monte Calanetti for anyone else? Find out in this fabulously heartwarming, uplifting and thrillingly romantic new eight-book continuity from Mills & Boon ® romance! A Bride for the Italian Boss by Susan Meier Return of the Italian Tycoon by Jennifer Faye Available August 2015 Reunited by a Baby Secret by Michelle Douglas Soldier, Hero…Husband? by Cara Colter His Lost-and-Found Bride by Scarlet Wilson The Best Man & the Wedding Planner by Teresa Carpenter His Princess of Convenience by Rebecca Winters Saved by the CEO by Barbara Wallace

About the Author SUSAN MEIER is an author of over fifty books for Mills & Boon. The Tycoon’s Secret Daughter was a RITA ® Award finalist, and Nanny for the Millionaire’s Twins won the Book Buyer’s Best award and was a finalist in the National Reader’s Choice awards. She is married and has three children. One of eleven children, she loves to write about the complexity of families and totally believes in the power of love.

Dedication I want to thank the lovely editors at Mills & Boon for creating such a great continuity! Everyone involved LOVED this idea. Thank you!

A Marriage Made in Monte Calanetti Have you heard? There’s a new 8-book linked mini-series starting in Mills & Boon Cherish this July, called The Vineyards of Calanetti , featuring a stellar line-up of wonderful authors and even more fabulous storylines! To help us celebrate, we hope you enjoy this exclusive short story, A Marriage Made in Monte Calanetti by Susan Meier Step into this Tuscan world and prepare to be swept off your feet!

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

Title Page

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

Extract

Copyright

Have you heard?

There’s a new 8-book linked mini-series starting in

Mills & Boon Cherish this July, called

The Vineyards of Calanetti, featuring a stellar line-up of wonderful authors and even more fabulous storylines!

To help us celebrate, we hope you enjoy

this exclusive short story,

A Marriage Made in Monte Calanetti by Susan Meier

Step into this Tuscan world and prepare

to be swept off your feet!

Michele Patruno walked into the kitchen of Mancini’s, the new Tuscan restaurant in Monte Calanetti owned by his friend Chef Rafe Mancini. The scents of risotto, sweet sausage, succulent lamb hit him as he stepped into the ultra-modern, stainless steel kitchen.

At the sound of the door closing, Rafe spun from the prep table. His silver-gray eyes widened. His turned-down lips lifted into a rarely seen smile.

“Michele!”

He bounded over, enfolding Mic into an embrace that could only be described as the hug of a bear. Then he pushed him away. “What are you doing here?”

“You don’t think my favorite mentor could open a restaurant and I would stay away?”

Rafe studied him, those gray eyes always astute. “It took you long enough to come by.”

Michele deliberately avoided the unspoken question of why he never returned to his hometown. “I wanted to make sure you had at least one Michelin star before I tested the food.”

“One?” Rafe batted a hand. “Bah! You underestimate me. Everyone underestimates me.”

No one underestimated Chef Rafe. Aspiring chefs emulated him. Apprenticing chefs wanted to be him. Secretly in love with the tall, handsome chef, critics worked to find things wrong with his food, his restaurant, so they wouldn’t be accused of favoritism. Chef Rafe’s star was on the rise … as long as he could keep his temper in check.

“So you are here for food?”

“My aunt and uncle moved south. While I have a little time, I told them I’d stay in their condo until it sold.” He glanced around. “But that risotto does smell nice.”

“Nice! I will have you arrested for insulting me.”

Mic laughed. A feeling of normalcy, rightness, rippled through his blood and muscles. He loved teasing his friend. “Okay. It does smell amazing.”

Rafe dropped his arm to Mic’s shoulders. “It is good to see you, Mic.” He turned them to the door. “Now, we find you a table. And I will treat you to food so tempting, so brilliant, you will fall to your knees and thank your maker.”

Mic laughed again.

He followed Rafe to the dining room. It was exactly as Mic pictured it would be. Though Rafe had added a modern kitchen to the back of the old farm house he’d renovated, he’d kept the dining room true to the house’s origins. Antique tables covered in white linen cloths sat on earth-tone ceramic tile floors. The rustic shutters on the huge window in the back were open, revealing the resting countryside of Tuscany in January. The bar by the kitchen bustled with business as waitresses shouted wine orders.