Stephanie Dees - The Marriage Bargain

Falling for her convenient groom

Family Blessings lead to new beginnings

Jules Sheehan will do anything to keep custody of the two orphaned girls in her care—including a marriage of convenience with their uncle. Cam Quinn crosses the globe as a travel writer, but he’s ready to settle down. Now tough, tender Jules is offering the home he’s secretly longed for. Can this marriage in name only become a family of the heart?

Award-winning author STEPHANIE DEESlives in small-town Alabama with her pastor husband and two youngest children. A Southern girl through and through, she loves sweet tea, SEC football, corn on the cob and air-conditioning. For further information, please visit her website at stephaniedees.com.

Also By Stephanie Dees

Family Blessings

The Dad Next Door

A Baby for the Doctor

Their Secret Baby Bond

The Marriage Bargain

Discover more at millsandboon.co.uk.

The Marriage Bargain

Stephanie Dees

www.millsandboon.co.uk

ISBN: 978-1-474-09480-1

THE MARRIAGE BARGAIN

© 2019 Stephanie Newton

Published in Great Britain 2019

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.

By payment of the required fees, you are granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right and licence to download and install this e-book on your personal computer, tablet computer, smart phone or other electronic reading device only (each a “Licensed Device”) and to access, display and read the text of this e-book on-screen on your Licensed Device. Except to the extent any of these acts shall be permitted pursuant to any mandatory provision of applicable law but no further, no part of this e-book or its text or images may be reproduced, transmitted, distributed, translated, converted or adapted for use on another file format, communicated to the public, downloaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of publisher.

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www.millsandboon.co.uk

“Whatever it takes, we’ll keep them safe. I promise.”

He put his hand on her shoulder and she closed her eyes, praying for guidance, praying that she wasn’t about to make a terrible mistake that would end in hurt for everyone.

When she opened her eyes, they were directly on his. She took a deep breath. “I need a husband.”

He laughed but sobered when he realized she wasn’t joking. “Okay, you’re serious. I’m just not sure I’m following you.”

Tears stung her eyes. “I don’t need just any husband. I need you. The judge we pulled for this case is all about biological family. And he prefers married couples over singles. If we get married…we would be both.”

“Do you know how crazy this sounds?”

“I do. I know.” She raked her fingers through her hair. “I’m not taking any chances with the safety of the girls. I can’t, Cam. I promised Glory.”

Dear Reader,

Thanks so much for joining me in Red Hill Springs in The Marriage Bargain ! When Jules appeared in her siblings’ stories, I noticed that she always appeared to be perfect and calm, never a hair out of place. She just seemed to know where she was going and how to get there. In order for Jules to grow, I knew she was going to have to learn to deal with chaos, which came by way of two precious baby girls and their handsome uncle (who brought his own version of chaos to the party).

Over the course of the story, though Jules and Cameron struggle with different things, they both learn that their identities don’t come from perfection or family or success or any of the other things we try to replace God with in our empty hearts.

Just like Cam and Jules, you have a Father who says that you were wonderfully made, who knew you before you were even born. I pray that you can rest in the knowledge that His opinion is the only one that matters and He loves you far beyond anything you can imagine.

I hope you’ve enjoyed your time with the Sheehan siblings in the Family Blessings series. For more information about upcoming books, please visit www.stephaniedees.com, or find me on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/authorstephaniedees.

Warmly,

Stephanie

I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well.

—Psalms 139:14

For lovely, grace-filled Gaynelle. Thank you for welcoming me into your family and loving me like your own.

Contents

Cover

Back Cover Text

About the Author

Booklist

Title Page

Copyright

Introduction

Dear Reader

Bible Verse

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

Epilogue

Extract

About the Publisher

Cameron Quinn looked around the tiny town of Red Hill Springs. Big pots of pansies, twinkle lights in the trees lining the street... Apparently the basketball team at the local high school was doing well this year—the storefronts were full of team spirit. It had charm, he guessed, if you were a person who liked that down-home kind of stuff.

He wasn’t.

Cam shrugged into his sport coat, slid his sunglasses into the pocket and started across the street. If the Hilltop Café was still the center of gossip in this small town, he’d know soon enough where to find his mother. He nearly choked on the word. She’d lost the right to be called that a long time ago.

Bells jingled on the glass door as he pushed it open. Same brass bell, same clanking melody, the childhood memory surprising him with its intensity. Or maybe it was the aroma of fresh pancakes and coffee on the burner that had him instantly back in middle school, a broom in one hand, a doughnut clenched in the other.

He stepped up to the counter, nudged aside the drape of tinsel someone forgot to take down after Christmas and took a stool. In seconds a glass of water was sweating in front of him and Ms. Bertie was greeting him with a smile. “What can I get started for you, hon?”

She had to be a grandma by now, but she hadn’t changed a bit from the days he’d come in after school for a Coke before riding his bicycle home. On the best days, she’d asked him to sweep the sidewalk in front of the café and paid him in pastries. Her small kindness had meant something to a boy nobody wanted. He drew in a breath, the onslaught of memories harder than he’d expected.