Sandra Steffen - Luke's Would-Be Bride

Cover Page

Excerpt “Luke, if I go out with you, people will get the wrong idea about us.” “And what idea is that?” “They’ll think we’re a couple,” Jillian replied. “I know this seems odd, but I didn’t come here to find a husband.” He appeared to be holding on to his frustration by a thread. “Let me get this straight. You saw the ad for Bachelor Gulch, so you moved here. But you aren’t looking for a husband.” Glancing at all of the townsfolk who were watching their little interaction, Jillian considered walking away without saying another word. But how would it look to have the new girl in town stomp on his huge ego in front of more than a dozen residents? In a voice meant for his ears alone, she said, “I’m really not in the market, Luke. But believe me, if I were, you’d be my first choice.” And with quiet assurance, she stood on tiptoe to whisper a kiss against his cheek, then turned and left him in the middle of the street, staring after her.

Dear Reader Dear Reader , The month of June makes me think of June brides, Father’s Day and the first bloom of summer love. And Silhouette Romance is celebrating the start of summer with six wonderful books about love and romance. Our BUNDLE OF JOY this month is delivered by Stella Bagwell’s The Tycoon’s Tots—her thirtieth Silhouette book. As her TWINS ON THE DOORSTEP miniseries continues, we finally discover who gets to keep those adorable babies… and find romance in the bargain. Elizabeth August is back with her much-loved SMYTHESHIRE, MASSACHUSETTS series. In The Determined Virgin you’ll meet a woman whose marriage of convenience is proving to be very inconvenient, thanks to her intense attraction to her “in-name-only” husband BACHELOR GULCH is a little town that needs women, and the name of Sandra Steffen’s brand-new miniseries. The fun begins in Luke’s Would-Be Bride as a local bachelor falls for his feisty receptionist—the one woman in town not looking for a husband! And there are plenty more compelling romances for you this month: A lovely lady rancher can’t wait to hightail it out of Texas—till she meets her handsome new foreman in Leanna Wilson’s Lone Star Rancher. A new husband can’t bear to tell his amnesiac bride that the baby she’s carrying isn’t his, in Her Forgotten Husband by Anne Ha. And one lucky cowboy discovers a night of passion has just made him a daddy in Teresa Southwick’s The Bachelor’s Baby. I hope you enjoy all of June’s books! Melissa Senate, Senior Editor Silhouette Romance 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 Luke’s Would-Be Bride Sandra Steffen www.millsandboon.co.uk

Dedication For my brother, Ron Rademacher—Sometimes the greatest heroes are the quietest ones. I thought you’d always be here, buddy. Save me a place in heaven, okay?

About the Author SANDRA STEFFEN Creating memorable characters is one of Sandra’s favorite aspects of writing. She’s always been a romantic, and is thrilled to be able to spend her days doing what she loves—bringing her characters to life on her computer screen. Sandra grew up. in Michigan, the fourth of ten children, all of whom have taken the old adage “Go forth and multiply” quite literally. Add to this her husband, who is her real-life hero, their four school-age sons who keep their lives in constant motion, their gigantic cat, Percy, and her wonderful friends, in-laws and neighbors, and what to do you get? Chaos, of course, but also a wonderful sense of belonging she wouldn’t trade for the world.

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Copyright

“And what idea is that?”

“They’ll think we’re a couple,” Jillian replied. “I know this seems odd, but I didn’t come here to find a husband.”

He appeared to be holding on to his frustration by a thread. “Let me get this straight. You saw the ad for Bachelor Gulch, so you moved here. But you aren’t looking for a husband.”

Glancing at all of the townsfolk who were watching their little interaction, Jillian considered walking away without saying another word. But how would it look to have the new girl in town stomp on his huge ego in front of more than a dozen residents?

In a voice meant for his ears alone, she said, “I’m really not in the market, Luke. But believe me, if I were, you’d be my first choice.” And with quiet assurance, she stood on tiptoe to whisper a kiss against his cheek, then turned and left him in the middle of the street, staring after her.

Dear Reader,

The month of June makes me think of June brides, Father’s Day and the first bloom of summer love. And Silhouette Romance is celebrating the start of summer with six wonderful books about love and romance.

Our BUNDLE OF JOY this month is delivered by Stella Bagwell’s The Tycoon’s Tots—her thirtieth Silhouette book. As her TWINS ON THE DOORSTEP miniseries continues, we finally discover who gets to keep those adorable babies… and find romance in the bargain.

Elizabeth August is back with her much-loved SMYTHESHIRE, MASSACHUSETTS series. In The Determined Virgin you’ll meet a woman whose marriage of convenience is proving to be very inconvenient, thanks to her intense attraction to her “in-name-only” husband

BACHELOR GULCH is a little town that needs women, and the name of Sandra Steffen’s brand-new miniseries. The fun begins in Luke’s Would-Be Bride as a local bachelor falls for his feisty receptionist—the one woman in town not looking for a husband!

And there are plenty more compelling romances for you this month: A lovely lady rancher can’t wait to hightail it out of Texas—till she meets her handsome new foreman in Leanna Wilson’s Lone Star Rancher. A new husband can’t bear to tell his amnesiac bride that the baby she’s carrying isn’t his, in Her Forgotten Husband by Anne Ha. And one lucky cowboy discovers a night of passion has just made him a daddy in Teresa Southwick’s The Bachelor’s Baby.

I hope you enjoy all of June’s books!

Melissa Senate, Senior Editor

Silhouette Romance

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 my brother, Ron Rademacher—Sometimes

the greatest heroes are the quietest ones.

I thought you’d always be here, buddy.

Save me a place in heaven, okay?

Creating memorable characters is one of Sandra’s favorite aspects of writing. She’s always been a romantic, and is thrilled to be able to spend her days doing what she loves—bringing her characters to life on her computer screen.

Sandra grew up. in Michigan, the fourth of ten children, all of whom have taken the old adage “Go forth and multiply” quite literally. Add to this her husband, who is her real-life hero, their four school-age sons who keep their lives in constant motion, their gigantic cat, Percy, and her wonderful friends, in-laws and neighbors, and what to do you get? Chaos, of course, but also a wonderful sense of belonging she wouldn’t trade for the world.