Carolyn Davidson - The Forever Man

Cover Page

Excerpt “You shouldn’t be kissing me like that,” Johanna said, breaking his hold as she stepped back. “We’re married, Johanna,” Tate said. He reached to tug her shawl over her shoulders. “Not really.” Her gaze fell from his, intent on the third button of his jacket. “According to the law, we are.” “You know what I mean, Tate. We have a bargain.” He could barely stop his hands from fastening on her and hauling her into his arms. “I’m willing to make some changes in the deal we made.” She turned from him and ducked her head. “I’m not, Tate.” From the barn the noisy trumpet of the stallion sounded once more and Johanna’s shoulders stiffened at the sound. “You’d best find a secure place to hold that animal for the next two weeks, Mr. Montgomery. One male creature on the loose around here is about all we need…!”

Dear Reader Dear Reader, Carolyn Davidson, author of Gerrity’s Bride and Loving Katherine, returns this month with a terrific new book, The Forever Man. This emotional story is about a reclusive spinster who, because of her past, has given up on love-until a marriage of convenience to a widower in search of a new life for himself and his two sons heals her broken heart and teaches her to trust in love again. Don’t miss this exciting new tale from one of our up-and-coming authors. Sharon Schulze, one of the authors in this year’s March Madness Promotion, also returns this month with To Tame a Warrior’s Heart, a stirring medieval tale about a former mercenary and a betrayed noblewoman who overcome their shadowed pasts with an unexpected love. And in The Lieutenant’s Lady, her fourth book for Harlequin Historicals, author Rae Muir begins an exciting new Western series called THE WEDDING TRAIL. This month’s story is about a hard-luck soldier who returns home determined to marry the town “princess,” a woman who sees him as little more than a way out of an unwanted marriage. USA Today bestselling author Ruth Langan is also out this month with Ruby, the next book in her ongoing series THE JEWELS OF TEXAS. Ruby is the delightful tale of a flirtatious young woman and the formidable town marshal who falls under her spell. Whatever your tastes in reading, we hope you enjoy all four books, available wherever Harlequin Historicals are sold. Sincerely, Tracy Farrell, Senior Editor Please address questions and book requests to: Harlequin Reader Service U.S.: 3010 Walden Ave., P.O. Box 1325, Buffalo, NY 14269 Canadian: P.O. Box 609, Fort Erie, Ont L2A 5X3

Title Page The Forever Man Carolyn Davidson www.millsandboon.co.uk

About the Author CAROLYN DAVIDSON lives in South Carolina, on the outskirts of Charleston, with her husband, her number-one fan. Working in a new/used bookstore is an ideal job for her, allowing her access to her favorite things: books and people. Readers’ comments are more than welcome in her mailbox, P.O. Box 60626, North Charleston, SC 29419-0626.

Dedication To my sisters, Marion, Norma and Nancy. They knew me “when”…and love me still! And to my sister-in-law, Thelma, who is an unpaid but much appreciated fount of information. What I don’t already know about horses, she does, not to mention apple orchards and some other good stuff. Best of all, she never laughs at my dumb questions! But most of all, to my own “Forever Man,” Mr. Ed, who loves me!

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

Copyright

Johanna said, breaking his hold as she stepped back.

“We’re married, Johanna,” Tate said. He reached to tug her shawl over her shoulders.

“Not really.” Her gaze fell from his, intent on the third button of his jacket.

“According to the law, we are.”

“You know what I mean, Tate. We have a bargain.”

He could barely stop his hands from fastening on her and hauling her into his arms. “I’m willing to make some changes in the deal we made.”

She turned from him and ducked her head. “I’m not, Tate.”

From the barn the noisy trumpet of the stallion sounded once more and Johanna’s shoulders stiffened at the sound. “You’d best find a secure place to hold that animal for the next two weeks, Mr. Montgomery. One male creature on the loose around here is about all we need…!”

Dear Reader,

Carolyn Davidson, author of Gerrity’s Bride and Loving Katherine, returns this month with a terrific new book, The Forever Man. This emotional story is about a reclusive spinster who, because of her past, has given up on love-until a marriage of convenience to a widower in search of a new life for himself and his two sons heals her broken heart and teaches her to trust in love again. Don’t miss this exciting new tale from one of our up-and-coming authors.

Sharon Schulze, one of the authors in this year’s March Madness Promotion, also returns this month with To Tame a Warrior’s Heart, a stirring medieval tale about a former mercenary and a betrayed noblewoman who overcome their shadowed pasts with an unexpected love. And in The Lieutenant’s Lady, her fourth book for Harlequin Historicals, author Rae Muir begins an exciting new Western series called THE WEDDING TRAIL. This month’s story is about a hard-luck soldier who returns home determined to marry the town “princess,” a woman who sees him as little more than a way out of an unwanted marriage.

USA Today bestselling author Ruth Langan is also out this month with Ruby, the next book in her ongoing series THE JEWELS OF TEXAS. Ruby is the delightful tale of a flirtatious young woman and the formidable town marshal who falls under her spell.

Whatever your tastes in reading, we hope you enjoy all four books, available wherever Harlequin Historicals are sold.

Sincerely,

Tracy Farrell,

Senior Editor

Please address questions and book requests to:

Harlequin Reader Service

U.S.: 3010 Walden Ave., P.O. Box 1325, Buffalo, NY 14269

Canadian: P.O. Box 609, Fort Erie, Ont L2A 5X3

www.millsandboon.co.uk

lives in South Carolina, on the outskirts of Charleston, with her husband, her number-one fan. Working in a new/used bookstore is an ideal job for her, allowing her access to her favorite things: books and people. Readers’ comments are more than welcome in her mailbox, P.O. Box 60626, North Charleston, SC 29419-0626.

To my sisters, Marion, Norma and Nancy.

They knew me “when”…and love me still!

And to my sister-in-law, Thelma, who is an unpaid but much appreciated fount of information. What I don’t already know about horses, she does, not to mention apple orchards and some other good stuff. Best of all, she never laughs at my dumb questions!

But most of all, to my own “Forever Man,”

Mr. Ed, who loves me!

“I believe I have a solution to your problem, Miss Johanna.” The Reverend Hughes folded his hands precisely and rubbed one thumb the length of the other, his eyes never leaving the young woman seated across the table from him.

Johanna nodded politely. Entertaining well-meaning townfolk had become a way of life over the past months. Seemingly, setting her life in order was the goal of every person who’d known Fred and Mary Patterson.