Table Of ContentWhen he spoke just now, his breath feathered along the side of her
neck. It instantly created a warm shiver up and down her spine and
took considerable effort to stifle.
It had been a long while between men, she thought. Though she told herself that
all she was after was earthshaking, teeth-jarring sex, down deep she knew she
still had to feel something—respect, admiration, a more than passing attraction,
something—for the men she went to bed with.
For one reason or another, it had been a long time since she’d “felt” anything at
all.
That certainly wasn’t the case now.
Dear Reader,
My parents never tried to set me up with anyone. My mother liked having me
around, so she was in no hurry for me to marry. My father’s plans entailed
having me help raise my brothers, and once they were married, I was to enter a
nunnery. I’m serious. I had to find my Prince Charming all by myself (which I
did).
Today there is never enough time, so a little help finding Mr. Right should be
welcome. But having a mother’s seal of approval stamped on a man can make a
daughter run in the opposite direction—unless she has to deal with him. This is
Jewel Parnell’s situation. As a private investigator she needs to go where the job
is, and Christopher Culhane has one for her: find his late sister’s ex-husband,
because there’s the small matter of a half-orphaned boy who needs caring for.
Jewel takes the job because she needs it. She ultimately stays because she needs
him—even if Christopher has her mother’s blessing.
I hope you like this little story. I thank you for reading and, as ever, I wish you
someone to love who loves you back.
Marie Ferrarella
FINDING HAPPILY-EVER-AFTER
MARIE FERRARELLA
Books by Marie Ferrarella
Silhouette Special Edition
°
Mother in Training #1785
Romancing the Teacher #1826
§§
Remodeling the Bachelor #1845
§§
Taming the Playboy #1856
§§
Capturing the Millionaire #1863
°°
Falling for the M.D. #1873
~
Diamond in the Rough #1910
~
The Bride with No Name #1917
~
Mistletoe and Miracles #1941
††
Plain Jane and the Playboy #1946
~
Travis’s Appeal #1958
§Loving the Right Brother #1977
The 39-Year-Old Virgin #1983
~
A Lawman for Christmas #2006
¤¤
Prescription for Romance #2017
¶
Doctoring the Single Dad #2031
¶
Fixed Up with Mr. Right? #2041
¶
Finding Happily-Ever-After #2060
Silhouette Romantic Suspense
The Heart of a Ruler #1412
*
The Woman Who Wasn’t There #1415
*
Cavanaugh Watch #1431
†
Her Lawman on Call #1451
†
Diagnosis: Danger #1460
My Spy #1472
†
Her Sworn Protector #1491
*
Cavanaugh Heat #1499
†
A Doctor’s Secret #1503
†
Secret Agent Affair #1511
*
Protecting His Witness #1515
Colton’s Secret Service #1528
The Heiress’s 2-Week Affair #1556
*
Cavanaugh Pride #1571
*
Becoming a Cavanaugh #1575
The Agent’s Secret Baby #1580
*
The Cavanaugh Code #1587
*
In Bed with the Badge #1596
*
Cavanaugh Judgement #1612
Colton by Marriage #1616
MARIE FERRARELLA
This USA TODAY bestselling and RITA® Award-winning author has written
almost two hundred books for Silhouette and Harlequin Books, some under the
name of Marie Nicole. Her romances are beloved by fans worldwide. Visit her
Web site at www.marieferrarella.com.
To Jacinta who won Nik’s heart.
Welcome to the family.
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
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Epilogue
Chapter One
H
e was accustomed to some disorder. It was there, on his desk, in his office at
the university. But that was a controlled disorder. If pressed, Christopher
Culhane knew exactly how to lay his hands on almost any textbook in his
extensive library, be it math or one of the physics disciplines, as well as on any
notes that he’d jotted down in the past six to nine months.
This, however, he thought as he looked around what he assumed was the
living room, had to be what the inside of Dorothy’s house had looked like
immediately after the twister had landed it on top of the Wicked Witch of the
East.
Maybe even worse, he silently amended. He’d always known that Rita, his
younger sister, wasn’t much for housekeeping. Growing up, she’d never been
able to keep her room in any semblance of order despite their mother’s
numerous pleas and threats to come in with a bulldozer. Looking back, Rita’s
room had been downright neat in comparison to what he was seeing now.
How could a sane person live like this? The answer to that troubled him on
several levels.
With a suppressed sigh, Chris scrubbed his hands over his face, trying very
hard to pull himself together. The past thirty-six hours had been one hell of an
emotionally draining ride. A ride that he fervently hoped to God he’d never
come close to having to go through again.
“Are you okay, Uncle Chris?” a small, inordinately adult-sounding voice
asked, fear vibrating in every syllable.
His nephew, Joel, peered at his face with blatant concern. Joel was small and
slight for his age, which made him look even younger than five years old. But
the moment he opened his mouth, he negated that impression and sounded like
an old man trapped in a child’s body.
