Angel Smits - Addie Gets Her Man

The one thing she’s been missing in life?

The last time Addie Hawkins loved a man, it ended tragically. Years later she’s doing fine, even managing to ignore the hole in her heart—mostly. But things start to unravel when widower Marcus Skylar and his teenage son, Ryan, move into her old childhood home.

Being around them forces Addie to face past decisions while also bringing her a sense of healing she never thought possible. Yet even if Addie is ready to give love another chance, can she convince Marcus that family is worth the risk of letting go of his pain and opening his heart again?

ANGEL SMITS shares a big yellow house, complete with gingerbread and a porch swing, in Colorado with her husband, daughter and Maggie, their border collie mix. Winning the Romance Writers of America’s Golden Heart® Award was the highlight of her writing career, until her first Harlequin book hit the shelves. Her social work background inspires her characters while improv writing allows her to torture them. It’s a rough job, but someone’s got to do it.

Also By Angel Smits

A Chair at the Hawkins Table

Last Chance at the Someday Café

The Ballerina’s Stand

The Marine Finds His Family

A Family for Tyler

Seeking Shelter

A Message for Julia

Discover more at millsandboon.co.uk

Addie Gets Her Man

Angel Smits

www.millsandboon.co.uk

ISBN: 978-1-474-08472-7

ADDIE GETS HER MAN

© 2018 Angel Smits

Published in Great Britain 2018

by Mills & Boon, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers 1 London Bridge Street, London, SE1 9GF

All rights reserved including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in any form. This edition is published by arrangement with Harlequin Books S.A.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, locations and incidents are purely fictional and bear no relationship to any real life individuals, living or dead, or to any actual places, business establishments, locations, events or incidents. Any resemblance is entirely coincidental.

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www.millsandboon.co.uk

Version: 2020-03-02

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“What about you? Ever been in love? Married? Almost married?”

Something changed with that question, and as soon as Marcus looked in Addie’s eyes, he regretted asking. She’d been happy, enjoying sharing her life with him. But now there were shutters in her eyes that fell just as he got a glimpse of the pain.

“Once upon a time,” she whispered. “I believed in the fairy tale for me.” She fell silent. He didn’t ask anything more; he didn’t want to twist the knife that she obviously felt.

They’d reached the white picket fence surrounding her yard. He almost asked how a girl who lived in a house with a white picket fence could live in it alone, but he didn’t.

“Thanks for walking with me,” she hastily said and pushed the gate open, just as hastily closing it between them. “Enjoy the rest of your evening.” This time she rushed into the house, not looking back, not even to wave goodbye.

Why did he feel so disappointed?

Dear Reader,

The hardest part of writing any book, for me, is the ending. I want to make sure I get it right so you, and I, feel the satisfaction of the happy ending that is romance.

But each book’s ending is also a moment to say goodbye to characters I’ve lived with, intimately, for months. In the case of my A Chair at the Hawkins Table series, for years.

Addie Hawkins has been with me since page one, since the Hawkins siblings first lost their mother and gathered around that dining room table to remember her. The joy I feel at finally giving her the happy ending she deserves makes saying goodbye easier. I hope you love Marcus as much as Addie and I do, and enjoy the final chapter of the series.

In this case, however, it’s more than a goodbye to these characters. It’s the last of the Superromance line. This has been my literary home for over ten years and eight books. And as a reader, for many years before that.

I have to thank so many people. The editors for letting me finish this series. That means so much to me. My fellow authors, who have given me friendship and guidance. And mostly all of you Superromance readers, who bought, read and love my stories and characters as much, if not more, than I do.

I’ll never forget any of you, and I hope our paths cross again. Please visit my website at angelsmits.com for the latest developments in the next stage of my writing journey. I’ll look for you there—and on the bookshelves of the future.

Angel Smits

The entire A Chair at the Hawkins Table series has been about siblings. And I’m lucky to have two very special ones of my own.

This is dedicated to Jeff Strong and April Wilkerson. I love you both, and am so glad you’re a part of my life. Thank you.

And to Ron. You always believe.

Contents

Cover

Back Cover Text

About the Author

Booklist

Title Page

Copyright

Introduction

Dear Reader

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

EPILOGUE

Extract

About the Publisher

CHAPTER ONE

ADDIE HAWKINS STOOD next to her car, letting the remaining heat of the day wash over her. The Someday Café’s parking lot was nearly full, and from here, she could see the lobby was overflowing. Standing room only. Hopefully, they weren’t violating any fire code.