Julianna Morris - Bachelor Protector

Driven to defend a woman who won’t let him!

Poppy Gold Inns should be the perfect place to relax, except architect Tyler Prentiss doesn’t do slow. He’s juggling his work long-distance while looking after his brother, a wounded soldier battling PTSD. And he’s figuring out how to make nice with Sarah Fullerton, his mother’s new boss. Helping the stubborn, sexy baker remodel her kitchens is a step in the right direction, he figures. And when someone begins harassing Sarah, he wants to do more, but the independent woman won’t let him. Tyler knows all about needing space. She’s in danger, and so is he...of finally opening his heart.

“Do you still want to go for a drive?” Tyler asked.

“Not tonight.”

“Then how about me coming over tomorrow or the next day and looking at those blueprints?”

“Sure.” Sarah walked him to the door and was almost afraid to look out in case another gift bag had been left, which was absurd because the police had only departed a few minutes earlier. “Good night, Tyler.”

He hesitated, staring at her mouth.

Sarah gave it a brief moment of thought before rising on her toes and planting a thorough kiss on his lips. After all, there was no point in being coy, and it would be a much better ending to the evening than a creepy gift.

His arms went around her and he deepened the kiss. Every inch of her skin burned and the response from his body was unmistakable.

Dear Reader,

It probably isn’t a surprise that I enjoy writing about large families. (Was that a big “duh” I just heard?) Sarah Fullerton enjoys her many relatives in my third Poppy Gold story. She is open and loving, despite a bad marriage, and very busy running her dream business. I’ve paired Sarah with Tyler Prentiss, a man who struggles to be close to anyone, much less his own small family. Tyler has several concerns, including a grieving mother and a brother recovering from serious military-related injuries, but he can’t restrain his protective instincts when Sarah is threatened.

I hope to write more Poppy Gold stories in the future, as well as revisit the Hollister family from my series Those Hollister Boys. Lots of stories, just never enough time to tell them all!

Classic Movie Alert: share a smile with me by watching Bringing Up Baby, starring Katharine Hepburn and Cary Grant. Cary is a paleontologist whose life is turned upside down by a madcap heiress and a leopard.

Please check out my Facebook page at Facebook.com/julianna.morris.author. Readers can also contact me at c/o Harlequin Books, 225 Duncan Mill Road, Don Mills, ON M3B 3K9, Canada.

Julianna Morris

Bachelor Protector

Julianna Morris

www.millsandboon.co.uk

JULIANNA MORRIS isn’t crazy about housework, but she enjoys home canning because it connects her to the farming and pioneering roots of her ancestors. Of course, this conflicts with everything else she enjoys, including hiking, traveling, reading, painting and photography. But the way Julianna sees it, she’d rather have too much to do than too little. One thing is sure—she’ll never be bored!

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In loving memory of Burt and Emily

Contents

Cover

Back Cover Text

Introduction

Dear Reader

Title Page

About the Author

Dedication

PROLOGUE

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

Extract

Copyright

PROLOGUE

SARAH FULLERTON PRESSED a finger to her forehead, trying to concentrate.

In the past four years, she’d gone from running a small sweet shop with two employees to overseeing a bakery and catering business with more than twenty employees. The front of the shop looked the same as before, but the operation behind it had become a monster.

A loud clatter out in the main kitchen made her jump.

“Sorry about that,” called Gabby Michaelson, one of the shift supervisors. “Just dropped some pans. No harm done.”

Except to my nerves, Sarah thought, pushing the order forms away. She’d hoped to finish her office work during regular hours, but it would have to wait.

Lately she’d begun to daydream about getting a full night’s sleep. While the business was booming, it was partly due to nepotism. The nearby Poppy Gold Bed and Breakfast Inns was owned by relatives, and they’d contracted with her to provide all the food needed at the facility. Now their kitchens were quiet most of the time and hers were insane.

Granted, things were crazier than normal right now because her aunt, who’d been helping to manage the shop, had recently broken her leg. It would get better when Aunt Babs came back. If she came back. She’d asked Sarah to look for a permanent replacement for her, but it wasn’t easy finding an experienced office manager in Glimmer Creek.

“Sarah, can you help Aurelia?” Gabby called. “With David out, she’s swamped. A bunch of customers just came in, and we’re filling éclairs for that special order.”

With a tired sigh, Sarah got up and went out front, a babble of voices greeting her from the waiting area.

Sarah’s Sweet Treats was on the edge of the Glimmer Creek historic district and the tour buses parked nearby, so they got groups coming and going. She usually had two employees at the counter, but David had called in sick and Aurelia was trying to handle everything herself.

“I’m sure you’ll love the fudge,” said a familiar voice. Sarah’s eyes widened—it was Rosemary Prentiss, a Poppy Gold Inns guest she’d talked with several times. “The cappuccino flavor is my favorite,” Rosemary continued. “I also love the banana muffins. They’re wonderfully moist and have chunks of dried apricot.”

“Those sound delicious, too. I’ll take four.”

Rosemary had been visiting the sweet shop for the past several days, sitting and drinking tea for extended periods. Now she was behind the display counters, boxing a selection of fudge and muffins. She handed the containers to Aurelia to ring up at the cash register and cheerfully greeted the next customers in line.

Once again she efficiently filled the order, her enticing descriptions of the baked goods convincing the older couple to order a dozen peanut butter cookies, a caramel apple pie and a pan of bread pudding.

Sarah shook off her surprise and stepped forward. “I can take over, Rosemary, but thanks for helping,” she said. “It’s awfully nice of you.”

Rosemary smiled. “I don’t mind staying. We’re doing fine. Aurelia is handling the cash register, and I can manage the rest. I’m sure you have other work to do.”

Aurelia Fullerton, one of Sarah’s many cousins, nodded fervently. “She’s a whiz, Sarah. I hope you don’t mind.”