Here with Me. Holly Jacobs

      Acclaim for Holly Jacobs

      “Jacobs is a sublime storyteller.”

      —Romantic Times BOOKclub

      And her recent titles

      “You’re in for a wild ride as you wonder if love

       will prove to be the wisest ruler.”

      —Romantic Times BOOKclub on

       Once Upon a Prince

      “Holly Jacobs has masterfully penned

       an absolutely delightful story…”

      —CataRomance.com on Once Upon a Princess

      “While Be My Baby showcases Holly Jacobs’s

       unique humor and wit, this story has more; it has tender emotions that bring tears to your eyes. It reveals the real meaning of family and the healing power of true love.”

      —Romance Reviews Today on Be My Baby

      Dear Reader,

      July might be a month for kicking back and spending time with family at outdoor barbecues, beach cottages and family reunions. But it’s an especially busy month for the romance industry as we prepare for our annual conference. This is a time in which the romance authors gather to hone their skills at workshops, share their experiences and recognize the year’s best books. Of course, to me, this month’s selection in Silhouette Romance represents some of the best elements of the genre.

      Cara Colter concludes her poignant A FATHER’S WISH trilogy this month with Priceless Gifts (#1822). Accustomed to people loving her for her beauty and wealth, the young heiress is caught off guard when her dutiful bodyguard sees beyond her facade…and gives her a most precious gift. Judy Christenberry never disappoints, and The Bride’s Best Man (#1823) will delight loyal readers as a pretend dating scheme goes deliciously awry. Susan Meier continues THE CUPID CAMPAIGN with One Man and a Baby, (#1824) in which adversaries unite to raise a motherless child. Finally, Holly Jacobs concludes the month with Here with Me (#1825). A heroine who thought she craved the quiet life finds her life invaded by her suddenly meddlesome parents and a man she’s never forgotten and his adorable toddler.

      Be sure to return next month when Susan Meier concludes her CUPID CAMPAIGN trilogy and reader-favorite Patricia Thayer returns to the line to launch the exciting new BRIDES OF BELLA LUCIA miniseries.

      Happy reading!

      Ann Leslie Tuttle

      Associate Senior Editor

      Here with Me

      Holly Jacobs

       www.millsandboon.co.uk

      To all the Perry Square readers who’ve supported these

       stories, from Do You Hear What I Hear? on, thank you. This one’s for you.

      And to the staff at the Harlequin Distribution Center.

       I had so much fun visiting with you. Thanks for all the wonderful work you do!

      Books by Holly Jacobs

      Silhouette Romance

      Do You Hear What I Hear? #1557

      A Day Late and a Bride Short #1653

      Dad Today, Groom Tomorrow #1683

      Be My Baby #1733

      †Once Upon a Princess #1768

      †Once Upon a Prince #1777

      †Once Upon a King #1785

      Here with Me #1825

      HOLLY JACOBS

      can’t remember a time when she didn’t read…and read a lot. Writing her own stories just seemed a natural outgrowth of that love. Reading, writing, chauffeuring kids to and from activities makes for a busy life. But it’s one she wouldn’t trade for any other.

      Holly lives in Erie, Pennsylvania, with her husband, four children and a 180-pound Old English mastiff. In her “spare” time, Holly loves hearing from her fans. You can write to her at P.O. Box 11102, Erie, PA 16514-1102 or visit her Web site at www.HollyJacobs.com.

      Dear Reader,

      Here with Me is a special book for me in part because of Lee and Adam. Theirs is a story about balance. Balancing work and family. Balancing wants and needs. Balancing past and present. Balancing a dream with reality. Both need to find that balance, and they must discover where their true home is. Is it a house, a brick-and-mortar sort of place, or could it be that home truly is where the heart is?

      My family moved from our house of thirteen years not long ago. Two of my children had never lived anywhere else. I’ll admit, though I loved the new house, it didn’t feel like home. Then one day, I looked at my family sitting around the dinner table and I had my epiphany…I was home because they were here.

      The fact that my discovery parallels my characters’, that I get to examine the world, my life, through another’s eyes is why I’ve been a reader all my life, and why I became a writer. I hope Lee and Adam’s story speaks to you, as well!

      Holly

      Contents

       Prologue

       Chapter One

       Chapter Two

       Chapter Three

       Chapter Four

       Chapter Five

       Chapter Six

       Chapter Seven

       Chapter Eight

       Chapter Nine

       Chapter Ten

       Epilogue

      Prologue

      Mary Eileen Singer crept from her grandmother’s house before the sun rose on her tenth birthday, just as the first pink rays danced over the lake. Even though it was August, the morning air was cool. The ground felt wet beneath her bare feet, which was just perfect.

      She bent, ran her hands over the damp grass, then raised them to her face and scrubbed.

      “Ah, there’s something magic in that first dew. Back in Ireland they said if you washed your face in it, the next man you’d meet you’d someday wed. There’s something magic about becoming a woman, too. You put those two wee bits of magic together and you have something special,” her grandmother had said the night before.

      Her