Once Upon a Princess. Holly Jacobs

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      “Good night, Princess.”

      He whispered it, making it more of a caress than a title. Soft, sweet and maybe, just maybe, a little hot.

      “Good night, Jace,” Parker murmured.

      As he walked down the stairs, she wanted to call him back, wanted to stay with him just a little longer.

      Or maybe a whole lot longer.

      And because she didn’t want to let him go, she held herself silent and simply watched him leave.

      She was safe.

      Alone.

      Locked in her apartment.

      Like some princess of old, locked away from everyone in a lonely tower….

      Dear Reader,

      May has to be one of the most beautiful months of the year. Having been trapped indoors for the cold, dark winter, I love taking long walks and discovering new shops and restaurants that have opened in New York. And everywhere I turn, multicolored flowers line street medians; the sidewalks are flooded with baby carriages and the bridal salons lining Madison Avenue feature gowns that would make any woman feel like a princess.

      As our special tribute to May, we’ve gathered romances from some of your favorite writers and from some pretty stellar new voices. Raye Morgan’s BOARDROOM BRIDES continues with The Boss’s Special Delivery (SR #1766). In this classic romance, a pregnant heroine finds love with her sworn enemy. Part of the FAIRYTALE BRIDES continuity, Beauty and the Big Bad Wolf (SR #1767) by Carol Grace shows how an ambitious career woman falls for a handsome recluse. The next installment in Holly Jacobs’s PERRY SQUARE miniseries, Once Upon a Princess (SR #1768), features a private investigator who’s decided it’s time a runaway princess came home…to him! Finally, two single parents get a second chance at love, in Lissa Manley’s endearing romance In a Cowboy’s Arms (SR #1769).

      And be sure to come back next month when Patricia Thayer and Lilian Darcy return to the line.

      Ann Leslie Tuttle

      Associate Senior Editor

      Once Upon a Princess

      Holly Jacobs

       www.millsandboon.co.uk

      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

      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.HollysBooks.com.

      Dear Reader,

      In Once Upon a Princess I’m introducing Parker, Shey and Cara. They’re friends. The kind of friends who would drop everything, do anything, for each other. They were born to different families, to different circumstances, but they find a kinship together. More than just friends…they’re sisters of the heart. Recently our family suffered a devastating loss. So many of my friends supported me and lent me strength. One of my oldest friends, who’d just flown from Alaska to Virginia, jumped in her car and drove for eight hours to be with me. I can’t tell you how much all these ladies mean to me. How much I value and treasure their friendship. That’s what I hope I capture with Parker, Shey and Cara’s relationship…that special sort of friendship women share. A true sisterhood.

      I hope you enjoy my Perry Square trilogy. Things on the square are hopping, and it’s not just Parker, Shey and Cara who are finding that love is in the air!

      Holly

      P.S. I love hearing from readers. You can find me at www.HollysBooks.com or snail-mail me at P.O. Box 11102, Erie, PA 16514-1102.

      Contents

       Chapter One

       Chapter Two

       Chapter Three

       Chapter Four

       Chapter Five

       Chapter Six

       Chapter Seven

       Chapter Eight

       Chapter Nine

       Chapter Ten

       Epilogue

      Chapter One

      “I need a job.”

      Just one week before, when Parker Dillon had uttered those words to her two best friends, Shey Carlson and Cara Phillips, she hadn’t known what she was letting herself in for. And now here she was a working woman—a waitress extraordinaire.

      Okay, so maybe she wasn’t quite extraordinary yet.

      Most shifts she wasn’t even totally competent, but it had only been seven days and her business degree hadn’t exactly prepared her for a waitressing career path. But Parker frequently reminded herself that all she’d ever wanted was to be ordinary, so maybe being a less-than-extraordinary waitress was okay.

      “Hi, may I take your order?” she asked the people at her newest table at Monarch’s, her friend Shey’s small coffeehouse on Perry Square in Erie, Pennsylvania.

      A man and two children looked up.

      A man and two children who looked rather familiar.

      The man wore a black turtleneck sweater and black jeans all topped by a black leather jacket. His hair was black, as well. Not some dark brown bordering on black, but a true black. Despite the dark color, it looked soft.

      Inviting even.

      Not that Parker wanted to be invited.

      She didn’t have time for men.

      Not even darkly handsome ones.

      So she concentrated on the two youngsters