Mark’s dilemma was as strong as ever.

There was something about Emily’s spark, her spirit, that made him feel more alive than he had in months. But he couldn’t ignore the other part, either—the part that wanted to protect his son’s heart by keeping her at arm’s length.

“Don’t get close, don’t get hurt,” he mumbled under his breath.

It was a good motto. One that would keep him from ever seeing the kind of heart-wrenching hurt he’d been unable to erase from Seth’s eyes during Sally’s illness.

Emily.

Once again, the woman who’d captivated his son over a sand castle and a pepperoni pizza flashed before his eyes.

Emily was struggling on the first rung of a ladder he knew all too well. He saw it in her face when he talked to her about the foundation. He heard it in her voice when she brushed off his concern about the pain in her leg. And he sensed it in the unbendable determination that made her refuse help for even the simplest of things.

She needed a hand.

About the Author

Since the age of ten, LAURA BRADFORD hasn’t wanted to do anything other than write—news articles, feature stories, business copy and whatever else she could come up with to pay the bills. But they were always diversions from the one thing she wanted to write most—fiction.

Today, with an Agatha Award nomination under her belt, Laura is thrilled to have crossed into the romance genre with her all-time favorite series.

When she’s not writing, Laura enjoys reading, hiking, traveling and all things chocolate. She lives in New York with her two daughters. To contact her, visit her website, www.laurabradford.com.

Storybook Dad
Laura Bradford

www.millsandboon.co.uk

For Jenny,

You were, without a doubt, Mommy’s biggest hero during a very difficult time.

You are an amazingly special little girl and I’m blessed to be able to call you my daughter.