Love and the Single Mum

Love and the Single Mum
C.J. Carmichael

Overcoming her Ex-factors took perseverance…She was an ex-wife, ex-lawyer and soon-to-be ex-owner if her restaurant didn' t turn around. To top things off, Margo Evans' s ex was getting married again. What if her two children preferred their new stepmom?But all was not lost. A new lunchtime regular, Robert Brooks, seemed likely to add some spice to her life–or he would if a single mom hadn' t recently left him standing at the altar, wrenching away the child he' d begun to love.Could Margo coax the conservative banker to swallow his fear of women with kids? And show him to a table for four?SINGLES…WITH KIDSIs it really possible to find true love when you' re single…with kids?

“Margo? Are you still there?”

“Yes.” Barely.

“Catherine and I were hoping you’d come to the reception. We feel it’s important for the children that they see this wedding has your support.”

Did he know what he was asking? Margo rubbed her forehead. Forget the children being overwhelmed. What about her?

It was dizzying how fast her life had changed. She’d gone from being a married woman and practicing lawyer to a single mother with a business of her own. She’d adjusted—but was she ready to watch her ex-husband marry another woman?

And yet, she knew Tom had a point. For their kids’ sake, she had to do this. “Give me the restaurant name and time and I’ll be there.”

Slipping the phone back into her apron, she leaned into her chair.

This was so unreal.

In the year they’d been living apart, Tom had had his affair with Janna, and now he was marrying someone named Catherine whom she had never met.

Her ex had been busy.

And in all that time, she hadn’t gone on a single date.

Dear Reader,

When hearts break, dreams die and a marriage ends, sometimes the idea of loving again feels like an impossible fantasy. Especially when kids are in the picture.

Dating is challenging enough without adding the complication of children to the mix. Single parents are busy people. Working, raising kids and running a household all on your own leaves precious little time for dating. And yet, given the contemporary divorce rate, this is the reality many of us face.

I’d like to welcome you to a new series about women (and men) who find themselves in this exact situation. In Love and the Single Mom you’ll meet Margo Evans. Once Margo was full of hopes for her future. She studied law, became a lawyer, married a smart man and had two beautiful children. She thought she was living her dream—until her marriage fell apart.

Suddenly single, Margo reassesses her goals and decides to open a bistro. With two children and a new business to worry about, she definitely doesn’t have time for dating. Or so she thinks…

I hope you enjoy this story, as well as the other books in SINGLES…WITH KIDS. If you would like to write or send e-mail, I would be delighted to hear from you through my Web site at www.cjcarmichael.com. Or send mail to the following Canadian address: #1754-246 Stewart Green, S.W., Calgary, Alberta, T3H 3C8, Canada.

Happy reading!

C.J. Carmichael

Love and the Single Mum

C.J. Carmichael

www.millsandboon.co.uk (http://www.millsandboon.co.uk)

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Hard to imagine a more glamorous life than being an accountant, isn’t it? Still, C.J. Carmichael gave up the thrills of income tax forms and double entry bookkeeping when she sold her first book in 1998. She has now written over twenty novels for Harlequin Books and strongly suggests you look elsewhere for financial planning advice.

To my good friends Ann and Dave Mallory.

Wishing you health, happiness and bonne chance.

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

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

CHAPTER NINETEEN

CHAPTER TWENTY

CHAPTER ONE