Phyllis Langford is everybody's friend and nobody's lover. Until she succumbs to the unexpected temptation of Matt Sheffield–and soon after, discovers she's pregnant.Matt's a loner, a man who hides from the possibility of love and family. Just as well, in Phyllis's opinion, since she doesn't want or need anything from him. Not one single thing. But Matt can't quite leave it at that….Matt and Phyllis arrive at an agreement–he'll help her out. That's all. He'll drive her to the doctor, take care of her household chores. But this agreement gradually leads them to a bigger involvement in each other's lives, and by New Year's Eve, they're ready for the biggest involvement of all: marriage. Which is a good thing, because as it turns out there are two babies waiting just around the corner. Happy New Year, Phyllis, Matt and twins-to-be!
More than anything, Officer Nell Granstrom wants to stop history from repeating itself. Born to a sixteen-year-old mother, Nell had her daughter, Kim, at the same age. Now Kim's sixteen and has a serious boyfriend.But how much weight can Nell's words have? Years of living a careful life are over, because she's made another mistake. After witnessing a terrible crime, Nell turns to her new partner for comfort–which leads to a second unplanned pregnancy.Despite his reputation, Hugh McLean will no doubt offer to do the right thing. But would marriage to a man she hardly knows (and isn't sure she likes) work? For Kim's sake, for the baby's sake, is Nell brave enough to try?
Beth Sommers isn't looking for love.She's concentrating on her daughters and her business–and on convincing her ex-husband that their marriage really is over. Even if she was looking, it wouldn't be at a man like Sheriff Jack Murray.She knows Jack's a good cop, a good man…one she can count on. She still figures she'll be better off with a quiet, gentle–maybe even slightly boring–guy. She's already had enough excitement to last her a lifetime.But before long, Jack has her thinking that his kind of excitement is exactly what she needs.
A cop's creed: If your partner dies, take care of his family.John McLean is a single father and a cop–and he takes all his duties seriously. A year ago, after her husband died, he added Natalie Reed to his list of responsibilities. At first, that just meant helping around the house. Then a body is found in her den….Once he learns the victim's identity–and his connection with Natalie's husband–John realizes the safest place for Natalie is with him. He knows it's the honorable thing to do. But even when you're right, it isn't easy to feel good when you're falling in love with your partner's wife.
The terrible twos are nothing compared to the traumatic teens.David Whitcomb is a good father and once upon a time, his thirteen-year-old daughter Claire adored him. But times have changed and Claire seems intent on running away to live with her mother–a woman who's unable to look after her.In desperation, David turns to Grace Blanchet, the mother of Claire's best friend. Grace agrees to foster Claire while father and daughter work things out. She knows this is what's best for Claire. She's just not sure it's best for her. Does she really want to «play house» with a man who, much as she's attracted to him, reminds her of another man–one she'd prefer to forget?
Ex-con Matthew Quinn has plenty of trouble in his life right now. He doesn't need to take on more. And there's no question that Natalie Granville–with her crumbling mansion and her canceled wedding–is capital-T trouble. But that doesn't stop him from accepting a job from her.He can handle it. All he needs to do is follow some rules: Remember she's your boss, nothing else. Don't start letting the arrangement get all cozy and domestic and personal. Don't notice, don't want, don't feel and definitely don't touch.But apparently, when it comes to Natalie, rules are meant to be broken….
Old money. Old scandels. A new chance at love…Annabelle Langley is all wrong for Ben Jackson. Ben's an ambitious district attorney with plans to move up in the political arena. Annabelle's messy past–or at least the past she believes is hers–will not be helpful to him.But Ben loves Annabelle–it's the first time he's felt this way since his fiancée's death many years ago. And he's determined to prove Annabelle's innocence, even though he knows opening this old case will almost certainly destroy his career. But when it seems that the deeper he delves into her secrets, the more damning the evidence against her appears, Ben has second thoughts.Should he stop? Let her go? Or keep fighting for the happiness they both want?
Promises, promises…Maeve Arden had promised to love forever, but the marriage failed. Now, five years later, Maeve has finally found peace–peace she's promised herself to keep. The last thing she wants is a new man in her life. Her joy comes from her work–designing landscape gardens.Will Beaumont hires Maeve to design his garden. He, too, isn't looking to have anyone else in his life–no matterhow much she attracts him. He's just agreed to a platonic marriage with another woman–and it's a promise he intends to keep.But circumstances conspire to remind Will of a second promise he's made.The most important promise of them all…
Meet the people of New Skye at the Carolina Diner. And hear all about their lives and loves!After failing at marriage–not once, but twice!–North Carolina state trooper Pete Mitchell intends to remain single, no matter what. But when he pulls over his first ex-wife's Porsche for speeding, seeing her casts a spell on him all over again.It could never work…could it?Mary Rose Bowdrey comes from a different world than Pete, a world of money and style. Ten years after the end of their brief marriage, their worlds collide when Mary Rose's niece and nephew get into trouble with the law and enter a rehabilitation program run by Pete. Since Mary Rose is helping her sister with the kids, she and Pete can't avoid each other. Maybe this shared responsibility shows they dohave more common ground than just the bedroom.With two strikes against him in the marriage game, can Pete make it work the third time around?
The Brennan BrothersHis family belong to his brother now…Luke Brennan met Sarah Randolph on the worst day of his life. His brother's wedding day. The bride was Luke's ex-wife; the flower girls, Luke's daughters. Six years ago when Matt Brennan was reported missing in action and presumed dead, Luke had married Matt's heartbroken fiancée to give her unborn child a name. Gradually the marriage of convenience grew into something more…and a second baby was born.Then Matt returned to claim his family.Now only Sarah knows how much effort it takes for Luke to step away from his life–and his daughters. Only she knows how much he hurts. And only she can begin to fill the emptiness in his heart. If he'll let her…