Helen Brenna - Her Sure Thing

“Brenna combines nonstop action and great sexual

tension for a story readers won’t want to put down.”

—RT Book Reviews on The Moon That Night,

nominated for a Reviewer’s Choice award for

Best Harlequin Superomance of 2010

“I’ve found a new series romance writer to put

on the auto-buy list.”

—All About Romance on Along Came a Husband

“One book you must have on your list…don’t miss it!”

—Romance Reviews Today on Along Came a Husband

“In this touching story about the power love has to

heal all wounds, Brenna’s characters have terrifically

real depth and emotional appeal.”

—RT Book Reviews on Then Comes Baby

“A talented storyteller, Brenna has a gift for writing

category romance. She understands how to create

intimate, heart-touching stories with the kind of

vigorous writing that makes a series romance a

satisfying little peek into the lives and loves of unique

people and families. If you don’t know her work,

Next Comes Love is a nice place to start.”

—Michelle Buonfiglio, BN.com

“Highlighting the eternal tension between safety and

risk and the familiar and the unknown, this poignant,

sweet, gently humorous story focuses on a pair of

deeply conflicted protagonists and nicely sets the

stage for the Mirabelle Island books to come.”

—Library Journal on First Come Twins

Dear Reader,

Growing up a tomboy, I felt almost immune to the pressure placed on young women with regard to beauty. Raising a daughter changed all that. I don’t have enough space here to opine on body image, but our daughters deserve better. Just ask Grace.

So why do I write beautiful heroines and handsome heroes? I’ve always figured it’s part of the fantasy. After all, I do write fiction. Grace has me thinking, though, that maybe I should mix it up. We’ll see.

In September 2011, please watch for the seventh and last Mirabelle Island story, Redemption at Mirabelle. Missy Charms’s sister Marin, who first appeared in book four, Along Came a Husband, comes to the island to do a little soul searching. The last thing she expects is for that search to lead her to a gruff widower and his two kids.

If you’re curious about Mirabelle, check out my website. I hope to add pages of pictures, a character chart and maybe even a map of the island. I love hearing from readers, and you can contact me at helenbrenna@comcast.net, or P.O. Box 24107, Minneapolis, MN 55424.

My best,

Helen Brenna

www.millsandboon.co.uk

Helen Brenna grew up in central Minnesota, the seventh of eight children. Although she never dreamed of writing books, she’s always been a voracious reader. So after taking a break from her accounting career to be an at-home mom, she tried her hand at writing the romances she loves to read. Since she was first published in 2007, her books have won many awards, including a Romance Writers of America’s prestigious RITA® Award, an RT Book Reviews Reviewer’s Choice, a Holt Medallion, a Book Buyers Best, and a National Readers’ Choice Award. Helen lives happily ever after with her family in Minnesota. She’d love hearing from you. Email her at helenbrenna@comcast.net or send mail to P.O. Box 24107, Minneapolis, MN 55424.

Visit her website at www.helenbrenna.com or chat with Helen and other authors at Riding With The Top Down.

For Mark Twomey

Thanks, big bro, for being you and for all you do!

Thanks to fellow writer Lois Greiman for letting

me muck out barn stalls and dig fence posts.

With friends like you…

Seriously, thank you, dear, for allowing me to ride

your precious and beautiful Sage,

for advice on this manuscript and for giving

me a glimpse into a life with horses.

If only I had a couple extra acres, a barn and a

pair of those sexy riding boots…

Thanks, also, to my lovely and very talented

niece Angi Twomey for her expert advice

and insight with regard to the Los Angeles

fashion world and for letting me sleep on her

couch while doing research!

What happens in L.A. stays in L.A.

You know that, right?

Love you both,

Helen

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

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

A SIMPLE, UNCOMPLICATED LIFE. Was that too much to ask?

Apparently.

A sense of dread churning in his stomach, Sean Griffin glanced out at the choppy waters of Lake Superior and waited impatiently as the ferry approached Mirabelle Island. How ironic that this should happen to him now. Right now. When he’d finally orchestrated for himself the perfect life.

Well, almost the perfect life.

For the first time ever, he had close, trusted friends. This past winter, he’d bought the business of his dreams while managing to keep his part-time medical practice. He now owned a significant chunk of land and horses, lots of horses. And although the old farmhouse that had come with the Mirabelle Island Stable and Livery operation had needed a lot of work, he’d spent the last several months refurbishing the place, getting every piece of furniture, every wall color and window treatment just right. The only thing he was missing was a woman to share it all with, a wife, and a wife was definitely not coming for him on that ferry.

The afternoon sun, brilliant and blinding, reflected off the wavy surface of the deep blue water, and as he flipped down his sunglasses the truth hit him like a blast of cold air. He wasn’t ready, probably never would be. What had he been thinking in agreeing to do this?

That a man couldn’t shirk his responsibility and still call himself a man. One way or another he was going to have to deal. It’s only for three months, he reminded himself. You can put up with anything for one summer, right?

“Hey, Sean!”

Sean spun around to find Garrett Taylor, the island’s chief of police, walking across the pier with his brother, Jesse. “Hey, guys.” The Taylors, Chicago transplants and two of Sean’s friends, had come to Mirabelle separately, but had quickly become part of the fabric of the island.

“Want to join us for lunch?” Jesse asked.

“Can’t today. Busy.” He nodded toward the ferry.

The Taylors both glanced out over the water.

“Today’s the day, huh?” Garrett said.

“Yep.”

“Good luck, man.” Jesse gave him a reassuring smile.

“Next happy hour at Duffy’s,” Garrett added. “I want to hear how it goes.”

“I’m sure everything will be fine,” Sean lied.

The brothers went on their way to the Bayside Café. Funny, they’d both found wives here on this little island. Maybe there was still hope for Sean.

He turned around in time to see the ferry dock with a surprisingly light touch against the pier. As the crew lowered the ramps and some of the first of this season’s tourists filed onto the island, he glanced at the faces of the people coming ashore. After all these years, would he still remember what she looked like?