Helen Lacey - Three Reasons To Wed

He looked downright irresistible.

Propped alongside his daughters in their bed, he was engaged in his nightly ritual of bedtime. The girls were sleepy as he read them a story.

Marissa took a moment to look at him, so handsome, so sexy.

She just stepped into the room when one of the girls said, “Daddy, we’ve been thinking.”

“Thinking about what?” Grady asked.

“That we’d like to have a new mommy,” she announced, so innocent it tugged at Marissa’s heart. “And if you married Marissa, she’d be our new mommy.”

The room was so quiet you could hear the proverbial pin drop. That’s all Marissa could think of as the child’s announcement echoed around the room.

Then blood rushed from her face and she gave a tiny gasp. Grady’s neck snapped around and he looked at her. Stared at her. Through her. Into that place she allowed only him.

She waited for him to gently tell his daughter that it was impossible. That people only got married when they were in love.

What he said made her heart pound …

* * *

The Cedar River Cowboys:Riding into town with romance on their minds!

Three Reasons to Wed

Helen Lacey

www.millsandboon.co.uk

HELEN LACEYgrew up reading Black Beauty and Little House on the Prairie. These childhood classics inspired her to write her first book when she was seven, a story about a girl and her horse. She loves writing for Mills & Boon Special Edition, where she can create strong heroes with a soft heart and heroines with gumption who get their happily-ever-after. For more about Helen, visit her website www.helenlacey.com.

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For my lovely friend Kathi Hillier, One of the best people I know.

Contents

Cover

Introduction He looked downright irresistible. Propped alongside his daughters in their bed, he was engaged in his nightly ritual of bedtime. The girls were sleepy as he read them a story. Marissa took a moment to look at him, so handsome, so sexy. She just stepped into the room when one of the girls said, “Daddy, we’ve been thinking.” “Thinking about what?” Grady asked. “That we’d like to have a new mommy,” she announced, so innocent it tugged at Marissa’s heart. “And if you married Marissa, she’d be our new mommy.” The room was so quiet you could hear the proverbial pin drop. That’s all Marissa could think of as the child’s announcement echoed around the room. Then blood rushed from her face and she gave a tiny gasp. Grady’s neck snapped around and he looked at her. Stared at her. Through her. Into that place she allowed only him. She waited for him to gently tell his daughter that it was impossible. That people only got married when they were in love. What he said made her heart pound … * * * The Cedar River Cowboys: Riding into town with romance on their minds!

Title Page Three Reasons to Wed Helen Lacey www.millsandboon.co.uk

About the Author HELEN LACEY grew up reading Black Beauty and Little House on the Prairie. These childhood classics inspired her to write her first book when she was seven, a story about a girl and her horse. She loves writing for Mills & Boon Special Edition, where she can create strong heroes with a soft heart and heroines with gumption who get their happily-ever-after. For more about Helen, visit her website www.helenlacey.com .

Dedication For my lovely friend Kathi Hillier, One of the best people I know.

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Epilogue

Extract

Copyright

Chapter One

Marissa Ellis pulled up outside her aunt’s house in Cedar River and switched off the ignition. The old home looked shabby and tired. Kind of like me. But she quickly pushed the thought aside. For the moment she had more important things to think about than her own complicated situation. Aunt Violet was recovering from a fall and would be in the hospital, then rehab, for at least a month. Which meant Marissa needed to be in South Dakota to look after the small ranch.

It was the least she could do for the great-aunt who had taken her in following the death of her mother when Marissa was twelve. She’d spent six years living on the ranch. Until she’d finished high school. Until a scholarship meant college. After college, there was an internship at one of the most successful advertising agencies in New York, followed by five years of fourteen-hour days and multimillion-dollar deals. And then there was her husband. Who quickly became her ex-husband.

Marissa shook herself. There was no point in reliving all that now. She was back...for good.

The small town sat in the shadow of the Black Hills. It was actually two towns—Cedar Creek and Riverbend—that were separated by a narrow riverbed and a bridge and with a total combined population of a few thousand. A century ago, both had served as the backdrop for a booming silver mining industry. The mines were mostly closed now, with just a couple used as tourist attractions, and finally, after years of negotiating between the local governments, the town would soon be renamed Cedar River.

Marissa didn’t really care what the town was called. She’d come back many times over the years—to see her aunt. To see her best friend, Liz. To see Liz’s three young daughters. And then to attend Liz’s funeral.

Never to see Grady.

He didn’t like her anyhow. And since Liz’s death nearly two and a half years earlier, Grady’s disinterest in Marissa had amplified tenfold. Oh, he was polite and respectful and allowed her to see the girls, but he never encouraged her interactions and always seemed relieved each time she left to return to New York. But now she was back for good.

Her great-aunt’s place was right next door to Grady’s ranch, which meant she would have the opportunity to see her goddaughters more regularly than if she decided to reside in town.

If Grady continued to allow it, of course.

She’d have to see him, talk to him and make arrangements. But first, there was a house to settle into and sleep to be had. Marissa got out of the car and grabbed her bag from the backseat. It was nearly dusk and she walked carefully up the pathway, mindful of the overhanging branches from trees and shrubs well past their last prune.

The house was clean but smelled musty, and she quickly placed her things into the spare room before she wandered through a few other rooms, opening windows to allow the fresh evening air to sweep through the place.

She made a cup of instant coffee and drank it black, since there was no milk in the refrigerator, and for dinner settled on the couple of cereal bars and the apple she had in her bag. Once she was done, she took a long shower and tumbled into bed around eight o’clock.

She tossed and turned before finally managing to get just a few hours’ sleep, which left her restless and a little irritable when she was roused around six o’clock the following morning by a strange noise, like rustling bushes, coming from the backyard. Getting out of bed, Marissa padded down the hallway and opened the door to the small mudroom off the kitchen, peering outside. Dawn was peeking over the horizon and she blinked a couple of times to adjust to the sunlight.