Roz Fox - Sweet Tibby Mack

Cover Page

Excerpt “My friends, our sweet Tibby is withering on the vine.” “But Winnie…Ralph Hopple’s the only bachelor in Yaqui Springs,” Henrietta Feeney ventured timidly. “He’s sixty-five if he’s a day. Besides, do you think Tibby wants us meddling in that part of her life?” Winnie Toliver leaned closer and lowered her voice. “Tibby mustn’t know. We have to find an acceptable single man between the ages of twenty-eight and thirty-five and somehow entice him to settle in Yaqui Springs.” “Who?” wailed Mabel. “And how?” “Mabel, you sound like an owl,” Winnie snapped. “I didn’t say it would be easy. It will require a lot of thought and possibly some scouting. Let’s meet again one week from today. I’ll expect everyone to bring some workable suggestions.” Mabel jumped to her feet and clapped. “Winnie, you’re right! I always said old age and treachery will win out over youth and skill any day!”

Dear Reader Dear Reader , I was delighted to learn that Sweet Tibby Mack is the launch book for Superromance’s in-series promotion, MATCHMAKER, MATCHMAKER. In some parts of the world, the role of matchmaker is not taken lightly. Official matchmakers present the prospective groom’s offer to the bride’s family and negotiate the dowry. Here, it’s an informal role—usually entered into enthusiastically by well-meaning friends and family members. Most women have experienced matchmaking, either aggressive or low-key. To many it’s a source of amusement, to others a situation abhorred. But for some it works. My own marriage is the result of my husband’s sister bringing me in as a decoy to break up a relationship he had with another woman. I’m not sure the matchmaker expected her efforts to end in anything as permanent as marriage, however. But, alas, too often matchmaking doesn’t go as fondly planned. It’s almost always fraught with problems--and frequently backfires, as Tibby Mack’s friends discover when they endeavor to find her the perfect husband. I hope you enjoy Tibby’s experience— and her matchmakers! Roz P.S. I love to hear from readers. Write to me at: P.O. Box 17480-101 Tucson, Arizona 85731

Title Page Sweet Tibby Mack Roz Denny Fox www.millsandboon.co.uk

Dedication My heartfelt thanks to Gloriajean and Jim Boone for recounting the joys—and less-than-joyous experiences—connected with building a public golf course on private land. May you have smoother sailing on the back nine. For those readers not fluent in golf’s bewildering language, I offer the information the Boones so kindly gave me: In golf, when it comes to score, less is best. par: number of strokes set for a hole, depending on difficulty birdie: one stroke under par eagle: two strokes under par bogey: one stroke over par double bogey: two strokes over par irons and woods: two types of golf clubs

Prologue

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

Epilogue

Preview

Copyright

“But Winnie…Ralph Hopple’s the only bachelor in Yaqui Springs,” Henrietta Feeney ventured timidly. “He’s sixty-five if he’s a day. Besides, do you think Tibby wants us meddling in that part of her life?”

Winnie Toliver leaned closer and lowered her voice. “Tibby mustn’t know. We have to find an acceptable single man between the ages of twenty-eight and thirty-five and somehow entice him to settle in Yaqui Springs.”

“Who?” wailed Mabel. “And how?”

“Mabel, you sound like an owl,” Winnie snapped. “I didn’t say it would be easy. It will require a lot of thought and possibly some scouting. Let’s meet again one week from today. I’ll expect everyone to bring some workable suggestions.”

Mabel jumped to her feet and clapped. “Winnie, you’re right! I always said old age and treachery will win out over youth and skill any day!”

Dear Reader,

I was delighted to learn that Sweet Tibby Mack is the launch book for Superromance’s in-series promotion, MATCHMAKER, MATCHMAKER. In some parts of the world, the role of matchmaker is not taken lightly. Official matchmakers present the prospective groom’s offer to the bride’s family and negotiate the dowry. Here, it’s an informal role—usually entered into enthusiastically by well-meaning friends and family members.

Most women have experienced matchmaking, either aggressive or low-key. To many it’s a source of amusement, to others a situation abhorred. But for some it works. My own marriage is the result of my husband’s sister bringing me in as a decoy to break up a relationship he had with another woman. I’m not sure the matchmaker expected her efforts to end in anything as permanent as marriage, however.

But, alas, too often matchmaking doesn’t go as fondly planned. It’s almost always fraught with problems--and frequently backfires, as Tibby Mack’s friends discover when they endeavor to find her the perfect husband.

I hope you enjoy Tibby’s experience— and her matchmakers!

Roz

P.S. I love to hear from readers. Write to me at: P.O. Box 17480-101 Tucson, Arizona 85731

www.millsandboon.co.uk

My heartfelt thanks to Gloriajean and Jim Boone for

recounting the joys—and less-than-joyous experiences—connected

with building a public golf course on private land.

May you have smoother sailing on the back nine.

For those readers not fluent in golf’s bewildering language,

I offer the information the

Boones so kindly gave me:

In golf, when it comes to score, less is best.

par: number of strokes set for a hole, depending on difficulty birdie: one stroke under par eagle: two strokes under par bogey: one stroke over par double bogey: two strokes over par irons and woods: two types of golf clubs

“I SUPPOSE YOU LADIES are wondering why I called this emergency meeting of the Moped Mavericks.” Winnie Toliver, the group’s president, was a born leader. Energy all but crackled around her short gray curls as she paced the width of the Yaqui Springs recreation center.

The others immediately quieted.

“I’m concerned about our sweet Tibby,” Winnie said, referring to the youngest resident living in their retirement community. Each woman present had had a hand in Tibby Mack’s early upbringing. A few days ago she’d turned twenty-six.

“Gracious, Tibby isn’t ill, is she?” asked Mabel Sparks, a retired teacher who had scheduled Tibby’s home schooling from age ten through eighteen.

Yaqui Springs sat on the west bank of the Salton Sea in California’s Imperial Valley. Since it comprised mainly retired citizens, the county saw no need to provide transportation to elementary or secondary schools. Outside of Tibby, the youngest person in the loosely formed community was fifty-six.

“Tibby’s not sick,” Winnie assured the others quickly, halting the murmurs of sympathy that threatened to disrupt the meeting. “Since her grandmother passed on, rest Lara’s soul, Tibby’s scarcely stopped running. Each week the child takes on more chores.”

Ariel Pulaski patted her new perm. “You aren’t suggesting she close the beauty shop, are you? It’s so handy.”

“I know our men would hate to lose the coffee bar.” Rosamond Gordon, a former concert pianist, frowned. “And we’ve come to depend on the post office. You aren’t suggesting she give that up after Lara worked so hard to establish one for us?”