Linda Lewis - Cowboy Seeks Perfect Wife

Cover Page

Excerpt “You ought to be afraid of staying the night alone with me,” Rafe said. Sidonie laughed. “I’m not scared.” “Maybe you should be,” he muttered. “I’ve been known to take advantage of sweet, young things.” “I’m not sweet,” Sidonie said, sitting down on the edge of the bed. Then she kicked off her shoes and began rolling the leg warmer down her right leg. “What are you doing?” “Getting ready for bed.” She took off the other leg warmer. Grabbing the hem of her sweater, she pulled it up far enough to expose her midriff. “You won’t take your clothes off in front of me.” “Oh, yes I will.” Sidonie grinned before giving him a pitying look. “Give it up, McMasters. I’m staying no matter what you say.” She pulled the sweater over her head. When she could see again, the door was closing. Slowly. “Good night, Mr. McMasters,” she cooed sweetly.

Dear Reader Dear Reader, Love is always in the air at Silhouette Romance. But this month, it might take a while for the characters of May’s stunning lineup to figure that out! Here’s what some of them have to say: “I’ve just found out the birth mother of my son is back in town. What’s a protective single dad to do?”—FABULOUS FATHER Jared O’Neal in Anne Peters’s My Baby, Your Son “What was I thinking, inviting a perfect—albeit beautiful—stranger to stay at my house?”—member of THE SINGLE DADDY CLUB, Reece Newton, from Beauty and the Bachelor Dad by Donna Clayton “I’ve got one last chance to keep my ranch but it means agreeing to marry a man I hardly know!”—Rose Murdock from The Rancher’s Bride by Stella Bagwell, part of her TWINS ON THE DOORSTEP miniseries “Would you believe my little white lie of a fiancé just showed up—and he’s better than I ever imagined!” —Ellen Rhoades, one of our SURPRISE BRIDES in Myrna Mackenzie’s The Secret Groom “I will not allow my search for a bride to be waylaid by that attractive, but totally unsuitable, redhead again!”—sexy rancher Rafe McMasters in Cowboy Seeks Perfect Wife by Linda Lewis “We know Sabrina would be the perfect mom for us—we just have to convince Dad to marry her!”—the precocious twins from Gayle Kaye’s Daddyhood Happy Reading! Melissa Senate Senior Editor Please address questions and book requests to: Silhouette 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 Cowboy Seeks Perfect Wife Linda Lewis www.millsandboon.co.uk

Dedication For Melissa Jeglinski’s mother, Delphine Jeglinski. Because she has such a wonderful daughter, and because she read my first book and liked it.

About the Author LINDA LEWIS did not begin writing until she was fifty, having frittered away her youth on law school and a career as a tax attorney. However, she did find time during those wasted years for reading, reading, reading. Romance novels are her favorite genre because the woman always wins and the books always end happily. When it was time to decide on a retirement career, writing romance novels won hands down over preparing tax returns. Fortunately, Silhouette went along with her plan and agreed to publish her books. Linda lives in New Orleans with five cats and a long-haired Chihuahua named Tupsa. Write her at P.O. Box 6098, New Orleans, Louisiana 70174.

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Epilogue

Copyright

Sidonie laughed. “I’m not scared.”

“Maybe you should be,” he muttered. “I’ve been known to take advantage of sweet, young things.”

“I’m not sweet,” Sidonie said, sitting down on the edge of the bed. Then she kicked off her shoes and began rolling the leg warmer down her right leg.

“What are you doing?”

“Getting ready for bed.” She took off the other leg warmer. Grabbing the hem of her sweater, she pulled it up far enough to expose her midriff.

“You won’t take your clothes off in front of me.”

“Oh, yes I will.” Sidonie grinned before giving him a pitying look. “Give it up, McMasters. I’m staying no matter what you say.”

She pulled the sweater over her head. When she could see again, the door was closing. Slowly.

“Good night, Mr. McMasters,” she cooed sweetly.

Dear Reader,

Love is always in the air at Silhouette Romance. But this month, it might take a while for the characters of May’s stunning lineup to figure that out! Here’s what some of them have to say:

“I’ve just found out the birth mother of my son is back in town. What’s a protective single dad to do?”—FABULOUS FATHER Jared O’Neal in Anne Peters’s My Baby, Your Son

“What was I thinking, inviting a perfect—albeit beautiful—stranger to stay at my house?”—member of THE SINGLE DADDY CLUB, Reece Newton, from Beauty and the Bachelor Dad by Donna Clayton

“I’ve got one last chance to keep my ranch but it means agreeing to marry a man I hardly know!”—Rose Murdock from The Rancher’s Bride by Stella Bagwell, part of her TWINS ON THE DOORSTEP miniseries

“Would you believe my little white lie of a fiancé just showed up—and he’s better than I ever imagined!” —Ellen Rhoades, one of our SURPRISE BRIDES in Myrna Mackenzie’s The Secret Groom

“I will not allow my search for a bride to be waylaid by that attractive, but totally unsuitable, redhead again!”—sexy rancher Rafe McMasters in Cowboy Seeks Perfect Wife by Linda Lewis

“We know Sabrina would be the perfect mom for us—we just have to convince Dad to marry her!”—the precocious twins from Gayle Kaye’s Daddyhood

Happy Reading!

Melissa Senate

Senior Editor

Please address questions and book requests to:

Silhouette 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

For Melissa Jeglinski’s mother, Delphine Jeglinski. Because she has such a wonderful daughter, and because she read my first book and liked it.

did not begin writing until she was fifty, having frittered away her youth on law school and a career as a tax attorney. However, she did find time during those wasted years for reading, reading, reading. Romance novels are her favorite genre because the woman always wins and the books always end happily. When it was time to decide on a retirement career, writing romance novels won hands down over preparing tax returns. Fortunately, Silhouette went along with her plan and agreed to publish her books. Linda lives in New Orleans with five cats and a long-haired Chihuahua named Tupsa. Write her at P.O. Box 6098, New Orleans, Louisiana 70174.

Sidonie Saddler slammed her foot on the brakes, and her brand-new red pickup truck shuddered to a stop. The small dog on the seat next to her slid onto the floor and looked accusingly at Sidonie.

“Sorry, pup. I wasn’t expecting a gate. Are you okay?”

The solemn-faced dog hopped back onto the seat, turned around three times and curled up into a ball. Sidonie gave the animal a quick pat and opened the truck door. She eyed the shiny aluminum gate illuminated by the headlights. “There shouldn’t be a gate,” she muttered, wincing as she straightened her left leg to get out of the truck.