Virginia Carmichael - A Home for Her Family

The Millionaire and the Mechanic

Never in a hundred years does Sabrina Martinez expect to meet someone like handsome millionaire Jack Thorne—let alone find him volunteering at the Denver mission where she works. She’s grown up in a humble home and is surprised an heir to a fortune could have such a kind and generous heart. But Sabrina can’t let anything distract her—not even love. She’s battling for custody of her nieces and there’s nothing more important than that. Jack wants to help, but the divide between him and Sabrina seems impossibly wide. Can they learn to see past their differences, and give themselves a chance at true love—and a real family?

“Watching Sabrina work was absolutely impressive,” Jack said.

“We should get rid of that old statue out front and put up a monument to Sabrina the mechanic. It would be much more inspiring.”

He felt his grin falter as he caught sight of Sabrina’s face. The look she was giving him was a few levels short of overwhelming gratitude. Did she think he was being sarcastic? He was teasing about the statue, but he’d meant his original compliment to be taken seriously.

Not knowing what else to say, Jack tried to look as innocent as possible. Those beautiful brown eyes narrowed. He wasn’t making it better. He didn’t quite understand the emotions that crossed her face, but he wanted to, more than he had wanted anything in a long time. Something about this dark-eyed woman with the soft accent tugged at him.

He cleared his throat and looked away. No matter how intriguing she was, he didn’t have the freedom to do anything about it. His life was a complicated mess.

VIRGINIA CARMICHAEL

was born near the Rocky Mountains, and although she has traveled around the world, the wilds of Colorado run in her veins. A big fan of the wide-open sky and all four seasons, she believes in embracing the small moments of everyday life. A homeschooling mom of six young children who rarely wear shoes, those moments usually involve a lot of noise, a lot of mess or a whole bunch of warm cookies. Virginia holds degrees in linguistics and religious studies from the University of Oregon. She lives with her habanero-eating husband, Crusberto, who is her polar opposite in all things except faith. They’ve learned to speak in shorthand code and look forward to the day they can actually finish a sentence. In the meantime, Virginia thanks God for the laughter and abundance of hugs that fill her day as she plots her next book.

A Home for Her Family

Virginia Carmichael

www.millsandboon.co.uk

He said to them, “Go into all the world

and preach the Gospel to all creation.”

—Mark 16:15

This book is for all those who have loved

and cared for a child who is not their own,

especially foster parents like Mike and Terri Neal.

Your faith, wisdom and tenderness

are powerful weapons in this broken world.

Contents

Cover

Back Cover Text The Millionaire and the Mechanic Never in a hundred years does Sabrina Martinez expect to meet someone like handsome millionaire Jack Thorne—let alone find him volunteering at the Denver mission where she works. She’s grown up in a humble home and is surprised an heir to a fortune could have such a kind and generous heart. But Sabrina can’t let anything distract her—not even love. She’s battling for custody of her nieces and there’s nothing more important than that. Jack wants to help, but the divide between him and Sabrina seems impossibly wide. Can they learn to see past their differences, and give themselves a chance at true love—and a real family?

Introduction “Watching Sabrina work was absolutely impressive,” Jack said. “We should get rid of that old statue out front and put up a monument to Sabrina the mechanic. It would be much more inspiring.” He felt his grin falter as he caught sight of Sabrina’s face. The look she was giving him was a few levels short of overwhelming gratitude. Did she think he was being sarcastic? He was teasing about the statue, but he’d meant his original compliment to be taken seriously. Not knowing what else to say, Jack tried to look as innocent as possible. Those beautiful brown eyes narrowed. He wasn’t making it better. He didn’t quite understand the emotions that crossed her face, but he wanted to, more than he had wanted anything in a long time. Something about this dark-eyed woman with the soft accent tugged at him. He cleared his throat and looked away. No matter how intriguing she was, he didn’t have the freedom to do anything about it. His life was a complicated mess.

About the Author VIRGINIA CARMICHAEL was born near the Rocky Mountains, and although she has traveled around the world, the wilds of Colorado run in her veins. A big fan of the wide-open sky and all four seasons, she believes in embracing the small moments of everyday life. A homeschooling mom of six young children who rarely wear shoes, those moments usually involve a lot of noise, a lot of mess or a whole bunch of warm cookies. Virginia holds degrees in linguistics and religious studies from the University of Oregon. She lives with her habanero-eating husband, Crusberto, who is her polar opposite in all things except faith. They’ve learned to speak in shorthand code and look forward to the day they can actually finish a sentence. In the meantime, Virginia thanks God for the laughter and abundance of hugs that fill her day as she plots her next book.

Title Page A Home for Her Family Virginia Carmichael www.millsandboon.co.uk

Bible Verse He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the Gospel to all creation.” —Mark 16:15

Dedication This book is for all those who have loved and cared for a child who is not their own, especially foster parents like Mike and Terri Neal. Your faith, wisdom and tenderness are powerful weapons in this broken world.

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

Dear Reader

Questions for Discussion

Extract

Copyright

Chapter One

“We’ve got a crisis of epic proportions.” Jack Thorne dodged a flying soccer ball and motioned toward the Downtown Denver Mission’s cafeteria kitchen. “One of the big industrial food choppers went on the fritz.”

“That’s a disaster on a regular day, but right now...” Gavin grimaced and left the rest of the thought unfinished.

“Maybe we should lend a hand.”

Jack could see the kitchen staff working frantically, sacks of vegetables and potatoes on every surface. The kids hated to skip a single practice and as the coach, he loved the team’s commitment. But with Easter brunch in two days, he wondered if they should just give the kids the evening off. “Not that I have a problem with chopping fifty pounds of potatoes, but there are twenty little kids over there to think about.” Gavin nodded toward the players honing their instep kicks, shrieks of laughter echoing around the gym.

“Good shot, William!” Jack clapped for a little blond boy who managed to send the ball somewhere close to his partner. “What’s worse, missing practice or missing Easter?”

“The mission will celebrate with or without mashed potatoes. But if you feel that badly, maybe you should make a corporate donation of a large food processor.” Gavin grinned, stepping out of the way as a little girl chased a wayward ball. “Just sneak it into the stack of paperwork you sign on a regular basis.”

Jack snorted. Being the vice president of Colorado Supplements wasn’t quite the way people pictured it. Sure, he was the boss’s son and the one poised to take over the state’s biggest business, but he didn’t have much say on what happened around the place. He was only a figurehead, a desk jockey who was paid to show up and smile. “The paperwork would take months. Easter is in two days. Marisol is losing her mind this very minute.”