Callie Endicott - At Wild Rose Cottage

If these walls could talk...

Trent Hawkins won’t rest easy until his childhood home and the secrets it holds are finally demolished. So he’s shocked when a contract for its renovation comes across his desk. When the new owner, Emily George, refuses to sell, Trent’s only option is to take the job.

Straitlaced Trent and free spirit Emily don’t exactly see eye to eye. But she’s not the flaky city girl he took her for at first, and before long her enthusiasm for renovating Wild Rose Cottage reminds him of better times. Trent’s first priority is protecting his family’s reputation. But the closer he gets to Emily, the less concerned he is with the past.

Emily squared her shoulders.

“Are you interested in the job or not?”

He paused a long moment before answering. “Yes.”

“In that case, I’ll let you know tomorrow whether I’ve chosen your company to do the work,” she informed him coolly. “Is there anything else you need for your estimate?”

“No, that’s complete.”

She conducted him to the door and shut it behind him, relieved. Trent Hawkins might be near perfection in the appearance department—the perfect image of a rugged Western male—but he was also rude and pushy. She wasn’t sure she liked him, and was definitely sure he made her nervous.

Before he’d come, she had made up her mind that if the estimate was reasonable, she’d go with Big Sky because of their reputation. They really were the best. But now she needed to think it through again. It gave her a peculiar sensation to know Trent wanted the house for reasons he refused to explain.

Dear Reader Dear Reader TITLE PAGE ABOUT THE AUTHOR DEDICATION 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 EXTRACT COPYRIGHT ,

One of my dreams is to buy an old house and discover a forgotten treasure in the attic, such as an artifact from the Titanic or a previously unknown Rembrandt painting. So for my loner hero, Trent Hawkins, I couldn’t resist pairing him with Emily George, a cheerful, new-age city woman determined to renovate his childhood home.

Trent isn’t sentimental about Wild Rose Cottage, as Emily calls it, but he doesn’t want a stranger tearing the place apart and discovering some of the dark, hidden secrets of the Hawkins family. He hadn’t known the property was for sale, and Emily won’t sell, though he makes an offer that few people would refuse. So when she chooses his construction company to do the renovations, he decides to supervise the job himself.

I hope you have fun reading At Wild Rose Cottage. Writing it indulged my dream of finding treasure, because while Trent and Emily don’t uncover a Rembrandt, they discover something worth far more…each other.

I enjoy hearing from readers and can be contacted c/o Mills & Boon, 225 Duncan Mill Road, Don Mills, ON M3B 3K9, Canada.

Callie Endicott

At Wild Rose Cottage

Callie Endicott

www.millsandboon.co.uk

As a small child CALLIE ENDICOTT was fascinated that little squiggles on the page of a book could actually tell tales of faraway places and people. So naturally, she grew up wanting to use those squiggles to share the stories she made up in her head. Callie is grateful for laptop computers, which allow her to indulge one of her passions and still write…travel. At the same time she loves home and her guy, along with her cats, walking on a beach or hiking a forest trail.

Before you start reading, why not sign up?

Thank you for downloading this Mills & Boon book. If you want to hear about exclusive discounts, special offers and competitions, sign up to our email newsletter today!

SIGN ME UP!

Or simply visit

signup.millsandboon.co.uk

Mills & Boon emails are completely free to receive and you can unsubscribe at any time via the link in any email we send you.

To my dad’s father, who worked with his hands.

Contents

COVER

BACK COVER TEXT If these walls could talk... Trent Hawkins won’t rest easy until his childhood home and the secrets it holds are finally demolished. So he’s shocked when a contract for its renovation comes across his desk. When the new owner, Emily George, refuses to sell, Trent’s only option is to take the job. Straitlaced Trent and free spirit Emily don’t exactly see eye to eye. But she’s not the flaky city girl he took her for at first, and before long her enthusiasm for renovating Wild Rose Cottage reminds him of better times. Trent’s first priority is protecting his family’s reputation. But the closer he gets to Emily, the less concerned he is with the past.

INTRODUCTION Emily squared her shoulders. “Are you interested in the job or not?” He paused a long moment before answering. “Yes.” “In that case, I’ll let you know tomorrow whether I’ve chosen your company to do the work,” she informed him coolly. “Is there anything else you need for your estimate?” “No, that’s complete.” She conducted him to the door and shut it behind him, relieved. Trent Hawkins might be near perfection in the appearance department—the perfect image of a rugged Western male—but he was also rude and pushy. She wasn’t sure she liked him, and was definitely sure he made her nervous. Before he’d come, she had made up her mind that if the estimate was reasonable, she’d go with Big Sky because of their reputation. They really were the best. But now she needed to think it through again. It gave her a peculiar sensation to know Trent wanted the house for reasons he refused to explain.

Dear Reader Dear Reader Dear Reader TITLE PAGE ABOUT THE AUTHOR DEDICATION 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 EXTRACT COPYRIGHT , One of my dreams is to buy an old house and discover a forgotten treasure in the attic, such as an artifact from the Titanic or a previously unknown Rembrandt painting. So for my loner hero, Trent Hawkins, I couldn’t resist pairing him with Emily George, a cheerful, new-age city woman determined to renovate his childhood home. Trent isn’t sentimental about Wild Rose Cottage, as Emily calls it, but he doesn’t want a stranger tearing the place apart and discovering some of the dark, hidden secrets of the Hawkins family. He hadn’t known the property was for sale, and Emily won’t sell, though he makes an offer that few people would refuse. So when she chooses his construction company to do the renovations, he decides to supervise the job himself. I hope you have fun reading At Wild Rose Cottage. Writing it indulged my dream of finding treasure, because while Trent and Emily don’t uncover a Rembrandt, they discover something worth far more…each other. I enjoy hearing from readers and can be contacted c/o Mills & Boon, 225 Duncan Mill Road, Don Mills, ON M3B 3K9, Canada. Callie Endicott

TITLE PAGE At Wild Rose Cottage Callie Endicott www.millsandboon.co.uk

ABOUT THE AUTHOR As a small child CALLIE ENDICOTT was fascinated that little squiggles on the page of a book could actually tell tales of faraway places and people. So naturally, she grew up wanting to use those squiggles to share the stories she made up in her head. Callie is grateful for laptop computers, which allow her to indulge one of her passions and still write…travel. At the same time she loves home and her guy, along with her cats, walking on a beach or hiking a forest trail.