“What were you afraid of, Grace?”
She swallowed hard. It was her chance to tell him about the way she’d once felt about him and the way she’d felt when they’d just gone their separate ways after that one incredible night.
“Of winding up alone and lonely,” she said. “I think maybe I blew my one big chance. I took door number one instead of having the courage to wait for the big prize.”
“We’re just different, you and I.”
“Yes. We are. It’s a good thing we never got together. Isn’t it?”
“I don’t know.”
“You don’t?” Her chest tightened.
“Who knows what would have happened if things had gone differently?”
She forced a laugh. “Yeah, maybe we would have gotten married and had two-point-four kids.”
“Yeah…maybe.” He put a hand out and touched her cheek. “I’ve got to go now.”
He turned and began walking away.
Grace watched, feeling oddly bereft.
Then he stopped.
And came back to her…
Dear Reader,
June is busting out all over with this month’s exciting lineup!
First up is Annette Broadrick’s But Not For Me. We asked Annette what kinds of stories she loved, and she admitted that a heroine in love with her boss has always been one of her favorites. In this romance, a reserved administrative assistant falls for her sexy boss, but leaves her position when she receives threatening letters. Well, this boss has another way to keep his beautiful assistant by his side—marry her right away!
Royal Protocol by Christine Flynn is the next installment of the CROWN AND GLORY series. Here, a lovely lady-in-waiting teaches an admiral a thing or two about chemistry. Together, they try to rescue royalty, but end up rescuing each other. And you can never get enough of Susan Mallery’s DESERT ROGUES series. In The Prince & the Pregnant Princess, a headstrong woman finds out she’s pregnant with a seductive sheik’s child. How long will it take before she succumbs to his charms and his promise of happily ever after?
In The Last Wilder, the fiery conclusion of Janis Reams Hudson’s WILDERS OF WYATT COUNTY, a willful heroine on a secret quest winds up in a small town and locks horns with the handsome local sheriff. Cheryl St. John’s Nick All Night tells the story of a down-on-her-luck woman who returns home and gets a second chance at love with her very distracting next-door neighbor. In Elizabeth Harbison’s Drive Me Wild, a schoolbus-driving mom struggles to make ends meet, but finds happiness with a former flame who just happens to be her employer!
It’s time to enjoy those lazy days of summer. So, grab a seat by the pool and don’t forget to bring your stack of emotional tales of love, life and family from Silhouette Special Edition!
Sincerely,
Karen Taylor Richman
Senior Editor
Drive Me Wild
Elizabeth Harbison
This book is dedicated to Meg Ruley who, upon hearing that I had to drive the bus for my daughter’s school, saw the humor I thought was distinctly lacking in the situation and said, “You have to write it!”
Heartfelt things to Ray Plummer of Butler Montessori School in Darnestown, Maryland, who managed to keep a straight face while teaching me everything I needed to know to pass the CDL test and get on the road.
ELIZABETH HARBISON
has been an avid reader for as long as she can remember. After devouring the Nancy Drew and Trixie Belden series in grade school, she moved on to the suspense of Mary Stewart, Dorothy Eden and Daphne du Maurier, just to name a few. From there it was a natural progression to writing, although early efforts have been securely hidden away in the back of a closet.
After authoring three cookbooks, Elizabeth turned her hand to writing romances and hasn’t looked back. Her second book for Silhouette Romance, Wife without a Past, was a 1998 finalist for the Romance Writers of America’s prestigious RITA® Award in the “Best Traditional Romance” category.
Elizabeth lives in Maryland with her husband, John, daughter Mary Paige, and son Jack, as well as two dogs, Bailey and Zuzu. She loves to hear from readers, and you can write to her c/o Box 1636, Germantown, MD 20875.
Rules of the Road for Bus-Driving Single Moms
1. If you’re working for an old flame who has only gotten sexier over the years, fasten your seat belt. It’s bound to be a bumpy ride.
2. When a gorgeous man kisses you, it can be hard to put on the brakes, even when he’s your boss. Observe the speed limit, lest you lose control.
3. Keep a map with you and try to remember to stay on your course, even when other routes look tempting.
4. It’s probably safest to leave the lights on at night.
5. If your bus won’t start, don’t be alone with your boss while he fixes it, lest someone’s engine overheats.
6. Hand signals are always helpful when merging.
7. Back seat driving can be fun.
8. Be warned: Yielding to temptation is almost sure to end in gridlock.
9. If the road ahead is closed, enjoy the detour…. You never know where it might lead.
10. Be sure to check your rearview mirror frequently—you may be surprised by what you see there!
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
Chapter Fourteen
Epilogue
Chapter One
“You ever had to eat a locust?”
For a moment, Grace Bowes—standing in the blazing-hot sun looking for a mailbox that should have been on the corner of Main and Sycamore but wasn’t—didn’t think the question was directed at her. But when it was repeated with more vehemence, she looked toward the speaker and saw a bent old man perched on a bench in front of the Blue Moon Bay Pharmacy, staring at her so expectantly she couldn’t help but laugh.
“No, I haven’t.” She’d never been one to believe in omens, but when the seventeen-year locusts returned to her hometown the same month she—after a fifteen-year absence—did, she had to rethink her position. On several things. “But I haven’t ruled it out.”
The man laughed heartily, revealing a mouth full of holes plus one or two brown stubs of teeth. “Smart girl.” He thumped a gnarled finger against his temple.
“Have you?” She noticed he had a battered hat at his feet with a handwritten sign that said Thank You in an uncertain hand, and an old dented and rusted Partridge Family lunch box by his side. She immediately regretted