The Third Daughter's Wish

The Third Daughter's Wish
Kaitlyn Rice

One Man Had All The AnswersJosie Blume's earliest memories were of an eccentric mother who hid her three daughters away from prying eyes and scared off trespassers with a gun. Josie's bizarre childhood had to be the explanation for her miserable track record with the opposite sex. That's why the spunky interior designer needed to piece together her family puzzle, even though it meant finding the father who'd rejected her at birth–and who might reject her again.As always, her buddy Gabe Thomas was beside her every step of the way. Yet the closer she got to the truth, the more confusing things became. Of course, passion was something women shared with men–but passion with your best male friend?Heartland Sisters–together again.

All it had taken was a minute

Gabe had always thought part of Josie’s allure was her lack of complication. That men saw her spunk and realized she’d be fun and then gone.

But here she was, complicating his life all to hell.

He kissed her back.

He slid his hands beneath her coat, treasuring the sensual curve of her waist. He moved his fingers up her rib cage, stopping just below those voluptuous breasts.

He wanted to touch her there. He wanted to caress her to moans, then tear off her clothes and love her.

He wanted to tell her to stop looking for a father who hadn’t wanted her. She had him. He loved her.

He’d protect her.

Even from himself…

Dear Reader,

This last heroine in the HEARTLAND SISTERS trilogy is my husband’s favorite. Josie Blume is all tomboy, gutsy and feisty and not a lot like ultrafeminine me. I don’t worry about hubby’s preference, however. I think he might just see a hint of his own orneriness in Josie. And perhaps there’s a smidge of me in Josie’s hero, Gabe.

My favorite part of writing is the characters—always. When people ask me how I come up with different story ideas (surely they’ve all been done, they explain) my answer is simple: I start with two characters. We might try to put people into categories (see tomboy, above) but we are all so wonderfully different when it comes right down to it. Why else would my best friend still feel like my best friend after over thirty years? Surely I’ve met other only-child, Scorpio, mother-of-two intellectuals in a three-decade time span.

Maybe. But she’s the only one who responds to me as she does. (Hi, Lis!)

And that’s why Josie and her sisters were so much fun to write. The three siblings grew up under a special set of circumstances, without a lot of contact with the world beyond their rural Kansas home. Their personalities changed how that past affected them. Except for a common hope for a happily-ever-after, their goals were different. I hope you enjoy Josie’s quest for her heart’s desire.

I always enjoy hearing from readers. Write to me via my Web site at www.kaitlynrice.com.

Happy reading!

The Third Daughter’s Wish

Kaitlyn Rice

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

To my Tiger Lily cousins: LaDonna, Debbie, Sheri, Karen and Joni, Rhonda, Connie, Dani and Julie

You are all wonderfully unique, wonderfully fun. Wonderful.

Thank you for sharing yourselves, for the support, and especially for the courageous tributes you gave to my mother.

Most of all, thank you for keeping me in the loop.

Books by Kaitlyn Rice

HARLEQUIN AMERICAN ROMANCE

972—TEN ACRES AND TWINS

1012—THE RENEGADE

1051—TABLE FOR FIVE

1085—THE LATE BLOOMER’S BABY * (#litres_trial_promo)

1104—THE RUNAWAY BRIDESMAID * (#litres_trial_promo)

Contents

Chapter One (#uaf3ce76c-08c2-5a80-803b-a01bef6e42be)

Chapter Two (#u0693b3a1-7ac7-5f57-91cb-b2ac3d59b55b)

Chapter Three (#u012b6890-5d18-5409-a0af-c655db06a89b)

Chapter Four (#u157edaed-9ce4-5b3c-83eb-2e76cee5d05b)

Chapter Five (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Six (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Seven (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Eight (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Nine (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Ten (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Eleven (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Twelve (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Thirteen (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Fourteen (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter One

The man in the Wisconsin sweatshirt was eyeing Josie’s butt. Gabriel Thomas was sure of it now as he watched his good friend Josie Blume approach the pool table. She analyzed the break of the pool balls, then walked around to the far corner of the barroom. She grinned when she found the angle she liked.

Glancing sideways, Gabe noted that the other man’s attention shifted to Josie’s chest when she leaned over the cue stick. Of course he would look there. Guys did. Despite her diminutive stature, Josie hadn’t been short-changed up top. Those sexy assets curved inward to a well-toned waist, then flowed back outward to lean but feminine hips.