Jodi O'Donnell - Real Marriage Material

Cover Page

Excerpt “So you think we should take the plunge and get married?” Jeb asked sarcastically. “You’ll be my barefooted fishwife and I’ll be your redneck lover—” “Don’t!” she cried. “You’re not a redneck good ol’ boy, Jeb Albright.” “And I wonder if you have any genuine idea what you’re offering…or what you’d be getting.” He bent, and before she knew what was happening, Jeb had swung her into his arms in one effortless movement. “You need to know exactly what you’re getting. Exactly.” At the base of her throat he slid a finger under the strand of pearls nestled there. Lower he went, as he trailed his fingertips through the valley between her breasts. His hands drifted lower still…. Mariah moaned softly as she surged against him in silent invitation. Yes, she thought. He was made of the stuff that endured and lasted a lifetime. And this was what she needed, more than life.

Dear Reader Dear Reader , In 1993 beloved, bestselling author Diana Palmer launched the FABULOUS FATHERS series with Emmett (SR#910),” which was her 50 th Silhouette book. Readers fell in love with that Long, Tall Texan who discovered the meaning of love and fatherhood, and ever since, the FABULOUS FATHERS series has been a favorite. And now, to celebrate the publication of the 50th FABULOUS FATHERS book, -Silhouette Romance is very proud to present a brand-new novel by Diana Palmer, Mystery Man, and Fabulous Father Canton Rourke. Silhouette Romance is just chock-full of special books this month! We’ve got Miss Maxwell Becomes a Mom, book one of Donna Clayton’s new miniseries, THE SINGLE DADDY CLUB. And Alice Sharpe’s Missing: One Bride is book one of our SURPRISE BRIDES trio, three irresistible books by three wonderful authors about very unusual wedding situations. Rounding out the month is Jodi O’Donnell’s newest title, Real Marriage Material, in which a sexy man of the land gets tamed. Robin Wells’s Husband and Wife.. Again tells the tale of a divorced couple reuniting in a delightful way. And finally, in Daddy for Hire by Joey Light, a hunk of a man becomes the most muscular nanny there ever was, all for love of his little girl. Enjoy Diana Palmer’s Mystery Man and all of our wonderful books this month. There’s just no better way to start off springtime than with six books bursting with love! Regards, Melissa Senate Senior Editor Silhouette Books 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 Real Marriage Material Jodi O’Donnell www.millsandboon.co.uk

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ACKNOWLEDGMENTS My thanks to Don Anderson, owner of Don’s Guide Service on Lake Texoma, for keeping me straight on striper fishing, and to Larry Martin, for filling me in on adoption procedures in Texas. My thanks also to Alyson Brown for keeping me legal. Any errors concerning these areas are entirely my fault.

DEDICATION DEDICATION For my agent, Pam Hopkins—the real deal, the genuine article, the best!

About the Author JODI O’DONNELL grew up one of fourteen children in small-town Iowa. As a result, she loves to explore in her writing how family relationships influence who and why we love as we do. Jodi is a two-time National Readers’ Choice Finalist and winner of Romance Writers of America’s Golden Heart Award. She’s married to the hometown boy she has known since fifth grade and lives near Dallas in a ninety-five-year-old Victorian home with her husband, Darrel, and two dogs, Rio and Leia.

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Copyright

Jeb asked sarcastically. “You’ll be my barefooted fishwife and I’ll be your redneck lover—”

“Don’t!” she cried. “You’re not a redneck good ol’ boy, Jeb Albright.”

“And I wonder if you have any genuine idea what you’re offering…or what you’d be getting.” He bent, and before she knew what was happening, Jeb had swung her into his arms in one effortless movement. “You need to know exactly what you’re getting. Exactly.” At the base of her throat he slid a finger under the strand of pearls nestled there. Lower he went, as he trailed his fingertips through the valley between her breasts. His hands drifted lower still….

Mariah moaned softly as she surged against him in silent invitation. Yes, she thought. He was made of the stuff that endured and lasted a lifetime. And this was what she needed, more than life.

Dear Reader,

In 1993 beloved, bestselling author Diana Palmer launched the FABULOUS FATHERS series with Emmett (SR#910),” which was her 50 th Silhouette book. Readers fell in love with that Long, Tall Texan who discovered the meaning of love and fatherhood, and ever since, the FABULOUS FATHERS series has been a favorite. And now, to celebrate the publication of the 50th FABULOUS FATHERS book, -Silhouette Romance is very proud to present a brand-new novel by Diana Palmer, Mystery Man, and Fabulous Father Canton Rourke.

Silhouette Romance is just chock-full of special books this month! We’ve got Miss Maxwell Becomes a Mom, book one of Donna Clayton’s new miniseries, THE SINGLE DADDY CLUB. And Alice Sharpe’s Missing: One Bride is book one of our SURPRISE BRIDES trio, three irresistible books by three wonderful authors about very unusual wedding situations.

Rounding out the month is Jodi O’Donnell’s newest title, Real Marriage Material, in which a sexy man of the land gets tamed. Robin Wells’s Husband and Wife.. Again tells the tale of a divorced couple reuniting in a delightful way. And finally, in Daddy for Hire by Joey Light, a hunk of a man becomes the most muscular nanny there ever was, all for love of his little girl.

Enjoy Diana Palmer’s Mystery Man and all of our wonderful books this month. There’s just no better way to start off springtime than with six books bursting with love!

Regards,

Melissa Senate

Senior Editor

Silhouette Books

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

My thanks to Don Anderson, owner of Don’s Guide Service on

Lake Texoma, for keeping me straight on striper fishing, and to

Larry Martin, for filling me in on adoption procedures in Texas.

My thanks also to Alyson Brown for keeping me legal. Any

errors concerning these areas are entirely my fault.

For my agent, Pam Hopkins—the real deal, the genuine article,

the best!

grew up one of fourteen children in small-town Iowa. As a result, she loves to explore in her writing how family relationships influence who and why we love as we do.

Jodi is a two-time National Readers’ Choice Finalist and winner of Romance Writers of America’s Golden Heart Award. She’s married to the hometown boy she has known since fifth grade and lives near Dallas in a ninety-five-year-old Victorian home with her husband, Darrel, and two dogs, Rio and Leia.