Stranded With The Sergeant. Cathie Linz

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      “I’d love to show you how a real Marine woos a woman.”

      Joe leaned closer. “After I take care of my duty and give the Sergeant Major’s kid her tour. So which one is she? The one with the pigtails?”

      “No.” Prudence was silent.

      “Then she must be the one with the glasses.”

      “Wrong again,” Prudence said coolly.

      Joe frowned. “But he told me his daughter’s class was here for a tour.”

      “His daughter’s class is here for a tour.”

      Joe had a bad feeling. “You mean…?”

      “That I’m the Sergeant Major’s daughter?” the sexy teacher said with a smug smile. “Yes, that’s exactly what I mean.”

      Praise for Cathie’s previous title

      Daddy in Dress Blues (SR #1470)

      “Funny, sweet—I couldn’t put it down! One of Cathie Linz’s best books. Imagine a hard-core Marine trying to raise a three-year-old daughter by the Marine Corps training manual! Doesn’t that just about say it all?”

      —New York Times bestselling author

      Susan Elizabeth Phillips

      Dear Reader,

      I’m dreaming of summer vacations—of sitting by the beach, dangling my feet in a lake, walking on a mountain or curling up in a hammock. And in each vision, I have a Silhouette Romance novel, and I’m happy. Why don’t you grab a couple and join me? And in each book take a look at our Silhouette Makes You a Star contest!

      We’ve got some terrific titles in store for you this month. Longtime favorite author Cathie Linz has developed some delightful stories with U.S. Marine heroes and Stranded with the Sergeant is appealing and fun. Cara Colter has the second of her THE WEDDING LEGACY titles for you. The Heiress Takes a Husband features a rich young woman who’s struggling to prove herself—and the handsome attorney who lends a hand.

      Arlene James has written over fifty titles for Silhouette Books, and her expertise shows. So Dear to My Heart is a tender, original story of a woman finding happiness again. And Karen Rose Smith—another popular veteran—brings us Doctor in Demand, about a wounded man who’s healed by the love of a woman and her child.

      And two newer authors round out the list! Melissa McClone’s His Band of Gold is an emotional realization of the power of love, and Sue Swift debuts in Silhouette Romance with His Baby, Her Heart, in which a woman agrees to fulfill her late sister’s dream of children. It’s an unusual and powerful story that is part of our THE BABY’S SECRET series.

      Enjoy these stories, and make time to appreciate yourselves in your hectic lives! Have a wonderful summer.

      Happy reading!

      Mary-Theresa Hussey

      Senior Editor

      Stranded with the Sergeant

      Cathie Linz

      

      

       www.millsandboon.co.uk

      For my “editor extraordinaire,” Jennifer Walsh, for loving my books and bragging about me. I hope we can work together on the next 40 books! And to all the readers who’ve bought my last 40 books, this one is for you!

      Books by Cathie Linz

      Silhouette Romance

      One of a Kind Marriage #1032

      *Daddy in Dress Blues #1470

      *Stranded with the Sergeant #1534

      Silhouette Desire

      Change of Heart #408

      A Friend in Need #443

      As Good as Gold #484

      Adam’s Way #519

      Smiles #575

      Handyman #616

      Smooth Sailing #665

      Flirting with Trouble #722

      Male Ordered Bride #761

      Escapades #804

      Midnight Ice #846

      Bridal Blues #894

      A Wife in Time #958

      †Michael’s Baby #1023

      †Seducing Hunter #1029

      †Abbie and the Cowboy #1036

      Husband Needed #1098

      Silhouette Books

      Montana Mavericks

      “Baby Wanted”

      CATHIE LINZ

      left her career in a university law library to become a USA Today bestselling author of contemporary romances. She is the recipient of the highly coveted Storyteller of the Year Award given by Romantic Times Magazine and was recently nominated for a Love and Laughter Career Achievement Award for the delightful humor in her books. Cathie enjoys spending time with her family, her two cats, her trusty word processor and her hidden cache of Oreo cookies!

      Dear Reader,

      I first met Joe Wilder while writing Daddy in Dress Blues (SR #1470), where he was the hero’s best friend. I knew Joe had to have a book of his own—he told me so himself many times. I also knew that Joe had some dark secrets up his sleeve. Since I wanted to know what they were, I sat down to write Joe’s story.

      A U.S. Marine like Joe, a hunk who could give Mel Gibson a run for his money, needs a very special heroine. I got her name first. Prudence. Yes, a bad boy like Joe would need a prudent woman, one who wouldn’t melt at his first sexy smile, one who could see past his charm to the tortured soul inside.

      Prudence has secrets, too. She knows what it is like to be consumed with guilt, so she wants to help Joe. But help isn’t something a U.S. Marine accepts easily, especially not from his commanding officer’s daughter!

      I’ve loved writing about these heroic men who abide by the Marine Corps values of honor, courage and commitment. Come on, admit it—there’s just something special about a man in a U.S. Marine dress blues uniform! I hope you enjoy Joe and Prudence’s story and watch for more stories from me about these men of honor.

      I enjoy hearing from my readers, so please visit my Web site at www.comet.net/writers/linz.

      All the best,

      Contents

       Chapter One

       Chapter Two

       Chapter Three