The Single Dad Next Door. Jessica Keller

      

      Love Comes Home

      All Maggie West has ever wanted is a family to call her own. But her new neighbor, single dad Kellen Ashby, is definitely not the man to make that dream come true. His daughters are sweet and silly, the kind of kids Maggie used to imagine having herself. But Kellen has just inherited the inn Maggie manages—her former family home—and the two butt heads at almost every turn. He’s handsome, and clearly a devoted father, but with all the changes taking place, Maggie worries she may soon be jobless, homeless or both. At war with her emotions, Maggie will have to decide what truly matters—heart or home.

      She tried to pack away her dreams of a family.

      Locked the wish up tight in an old chest in her heart and tossed the key. The days of hoping for a husband and longing for children were gone.

      Yet in the car, listening to Kellen and his girls, the dream almost felt attainable again. If she couldn’t have a family of her own, perhaps she could grow old next door beside Skylar and Ruthy. Sure, it wouldn’t have the marriage part. A man like Kellen would never settle for a woman like her.

      Maggie stole a glance his way.

      He looked over at her again. Their stares collided and Maggie’s breath caught. Kellen was handsome. Ten times more handsome than any of the other men in Goose Harbor. And then there was that voice…

      “Sing with us, Maggie.” He winked again.

      “I…I don’t know the song.” Her gaze broke with his and skittered to look out the window.

      That was the crux of everything, wasn’t it? I don’t know the song. What did she know of love and romance?

      JESSICA KELLER is a Starbucks drinker, avid reader and chocolate aficionado. Jessica holds degrees in communications and biblical studies. She is multipublished in both romance and young-adult fiction and loves to interact with readers through social media. Jessica lives in the Chicagoland suburbs with her amazing husband, beautiful daughter and two annoyingly outgoing cats who happen to be named after superheroes. Find all her contact information at jessicakellerbooks.com.

      The Single Dad

      Next Door

       Jessica Keller

       www.millsandboon.co.uk

      And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.

      —Romans 5:5

      For Sadie, who, upon reading the first chapter of The Widower’s Second Chance (the first book in the Goose Harbor series), immediately asked when we’d hear Maggie’s story.

      Contents

       Cover

       Back Cover Text

       Introduction

       About the Author

       Title Page

       Bible Verse

       Dedication

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

       Chapter Five

       Chapter Six

       Chapter Seven

       Chapter Eight

       Chapter Nine

       Chapter Ten

       Chapter Eleven

       Chapter Twelve

       Chapter Thirteen

       Chapter Fourteen

       Chapter Fifteen

       Chapter Sixteen

       Chapter Seventeen

       Dear Reader

       Extract

       Copyright

       Chapter One

      A car door slammed outside, jolting Maggie West awake.

      Like tugging a quilt to cover her body on a cold morning, she yanked on the edge of her dream in an effort to fall back to sleep again. She closed her eyes tightly and tried to force herself to rest a little longer. Being the manager of the West Oaks Inn, she so rarely had the opportunity to stay in bed past five in the morning. Under normal circumstances, she’d be in the kitchen right now, whipping up her latest gourmet creation for her guests. But she currently had no guests despite many schools being on spring break.

      Tomorrow morning there would be guests to feed, but she’d prepared their rooms last night. She’d still go over the rooms one last time today before people arrived tonight, but for once, her plan had been to stay under her covers for most of the morning.

      So much for that idea.

      Oh well, eight in the morning was sleeping in long enough for her. Maggie let her eyes adjust to the bright light streaming in through her lace curtains. Her room was a mishmash of antiques, country charm and hand-me-downs. And she liked it that way. The sheet of glass that covered the top of the hundred-year-old dresser near the closet had once been the top counter of a pharmacy. She often tried to picture the people who had leaned against that counter to look at what was inside the case. Had they been sick people buying leeches? Or children with their noses pressed into the glass