Dating The Mrs. Smiths

Dating The Mrs. Smiths
Tanya Michaels

There's no way I would have ever imagined swapping datinghorror stories with my mother-in-law. But life is now officially very, very weird.In Eleven Short Months Charlotte Smith Has:A. Become a widow too soonB. Had her job transferred out of stateC. Driven over 1500 miles with two cranky kidsD. Moved in with her mother-in-law, Rose Fiorello Smith (a cross between Mary Poppins and Napoleon)For Charlotte aka Charlie, dealing with bumps in the road is a fact of life lately. Maybe it's time she made Rose realize that embracing change isn't about waving goodbye, but saying hello to a life where limits are for sissies…and a new beginning is only a new hairdo away.

“You and the kids should live with me, Charlie.”

“The offer’s appreciated, Rose, truly. I’m just not sure. The kids and I are finally starting to…” I hesitated to explain how we were only recently adjusting to the family of three we’d become, because I didn’t want to make her sound excluded.

She played her trump card. “I don’t think you and I were ever as close as Tom would have liked. I believe this decision would help him rest easier, don’t you?”

Yes, it would have made him very happy.

“We’ll be like Stella and Louise,” Rose said, sounding eager.

“Who?”

“Some movie.” She frowned. “Weren’t there two women who, I don’t know, bonded?”

“Thelma. You meant Thelma and Louise. And that movie ended in joint suicide.”

“Oh. You’re sure?”

“They drove into the Grand Canyon.” Whistling, I made a diving motion with my hand.

“What a silly way to end a film. Okay, then. Not like them! Some other pair that would make a good roommate analogy.”

Felix and Oscar came to mind. Hard to believe Rose and I would be any odder a couple.

Tanya Michaels

enjoys writing about love, whether it’s the romantic kind or the occasionally exasperated affection we feel for family members. Tanya made her debut with a 2003 romantic comedy, and her books have been nominated for awards such as Romantic Times Reviewer’s Choice, Romance Writers of America’s RITA

Award, the National Readers’ Choice and the Maggie Award of Excellence. She’s lucky enough to have a hero of a husband, as well as family and friends who love her despite numerous quirks. Visit www.tanyamichaels.com to learn more about Tanya and her upcoming books.

Dating the Mrs. Smiths

Tanya Michaels

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

Dear Reader,

You know the expression that you can choose your friends, but not your family? Well, it’s also true that you can choose your husband, but you can’t choose his family, which are generally part of the package deal. But what if that husband was gone, and his family—specifically his disapproving mother—was all you had left?

These were the thoughts that led to the idea for Dating the Mrs. Smiths, a story in which widow Charlotte “Charlie” Smith and her two young children end up relocating to Boston and moving in with her mother-in-law, Rose, a woman with a good heart buried underneath all her strong opinions. Deep, deep underneath.

I’m very excited about my first book for NEXT, and hope you enjoy it! If you do, please drop me a note at t.michaels@earthlink.net. You can also visit my Web site at www.tanyamichaels.com for giveaways, book excerpts and all my latest news.

Wishing you happy reading and wonderful in-laws.

Tanya

Thank you, Jen and Pam,

for helping me figure out my NEXT step.

And special thanks to my parents-in-law,

Harvey and Sandra, for your support and

encouragement of my writing. I’m very thankful

that you raised such a wonderful son and that

my kids have such loving grandparents.

CONTENTS

CHAPTER 1

CHAPTER 2

CHAPTER 3

CHAPTER 4

CHAPTER 5

CHAPTER 6

CHAPTER 7

CHAPTER 8

CHAPTER 9

CHAPTER 10

CHAPTER 11

CHAPTER 12

CHAPTER 13

CHAPTER 14

CHAPTER 1

“This isn’t a time to panic,” Martin assured me from behind his desk. “Only a time of change.”