The Family Diamond. Moyra Tarling

      

      “Maura! Watch out!” Spencer shouted.

      Maura wasn’t altogether sure what happened next, but seconds later she was sprawling on her back on the dusty ground with Spencer on top of her.

      Spencer slowly eased away from her, breathing hard.

      “Are you completely and utterly mad? Red, do you know how close those hooves came to that pretty little head of yours?”

      “They weren’t that close,” she protested, refusing to acknowledge he was right. “And don’t call me Red.”

      “I’ll call you Red if I damn well feel like it.”

      Outraged, she opened her mouth to protest. But her words were forgotten when her gaze collided with his. When he slowly began to lower his mouth toward hers, her pulse went into overdrive.

      “Don’t you dare—” she began.

      “Oh, I dare,” Spencer said huskily. “You know, Red, I’ve wanted to do this from the first moment I set eyes on you.” With that, he covered her mouth with his.

      Dear Reader,

      Not only is February the month for lovers, it is the second month for readers to enjoy exciting celebratory titles across all Silhouette series. Throughout 2000, Silhouette Books will be commemorating twenty years of publishing the best in contemporary category romance fiction. This month’s Silhouette Romance lineup continues our winning tradition.

      Carla Cassidy offers an emotional VIRGIN BRIDES title, in which a baby on the doorstep sparks a second chance for a couple who’d once been Waiting for the Wedding—their own!—and might be again.…Susan Meier’s charming miniseries BREWSTER BABY BOOM continues with Bringing Up Babies, as black sheep brother Chas Brewster finds himself falling for the young nanny hired to tend his triplet half siblings.

      A beautiful horse trainer’s quest for her roots leads her to two men in Moyra Tarling’s The Family Diamond. Simon Says…Marry Me! is the premiere of Myrna Mackenzie’s THE WEDDING AUCTION. Don’t miss a single story in this engaging three-book miniseries. A pregnant bride-for-hire dreams of making The Double Heart Ranch a real home, but first she must convince her husband in this heart-tugger by Leanna Wilson. And If the Ring Fits… some lucky woman gets to marry a prince! In this sparkling debut Romance from Melissa McClone, an accident-prone American heiress finds herself a royal bride-to-be!

      In coming months, look for Diana Palmer, a Joan Hohl-Kasey Michaels duet and much more. It’s an exciting year for Silhouette Books, and we invite you to join the celebration!

      Happy Reading!

      Mary-Theresa Hussey

      Senior Editor

      The Family Diamond

      Moyra Tarling

       www.millsandboon.co.uk

      MILLS & BOON

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      Books by Moyra Tarling

      Silhouette Romance

      A Tender Trail #541

      A Kiss and a Promise #679

      Just in Time for Christmas #763

      All About Adam #782

      No Mistaking Love #907

      Just a Memory Away #937

      Christmas Wishes #979

      Finally a Family #1081

      It Must Have Been the Mistletoe #1122

      Twice a Father #1156

      Marry in Haste #1242

      Wedding Day Baby #1325

      The Baby Arrangement #1367

      A Diamond for Kate #1411

      The Family Diamond #1428

      MOYRA TARLING

      was born in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. It was there that she was first introduced to and became hooked on romance novels. In 1968, she immigrated to Vancouver, Canada, where she met and married her husband. They have two grown children. Empty-nesters now, they enjoy taking trips in their getaway van and browsing in antique shops for corkscrews and buttonhooks. But Moyra’s favorite pastime is curling up with a great book—a romance, of course! Moyra loves to hear from readers. You can write to her at P.O. Box 161, Blaine, WA 98231-0161.

      Contents

       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

       Epilogue

      Chapter One

      Maura O’sullivan stood at the foot of the wooden stairs leading up to the veranda of the elegant two-storied ranch house.

      The taxi had pulled away. There was no turning back. Suddenly, a feeling of apprehension and excitement scampered along her nerve-endings, and the courage and conviction that had brought her to California in search of the father she’d believed was dead, seemed to drain out of her.

      The