Somebody to Love

Acknowledgments

As always, I am so grateful for the lovely friendship and tremendous dedication of my agent, Maria Carvainis, for her unwavering efforts on my behalf. Many, many thanks to my wonderful team at Harlequin: Keyren Gerlach, Tara Parsons, Margaret O’Neill Marbury and Michelle Renaud, the incredible gang in Marketing and Digital, all the lovely sales reps and especially Donna Hayes, who makes running a

huge corporation look easy and does so while wearing incredible shoes.

Much love and thanks to the endlessly capable Kim Castillo of Author’s Best Friend and to the brilliant Sarah Burningham at Little Bird Publicity, ever cheerful, ever helpful, ever lovely, both of you!

For their input, thanks to Huntley Fitzpatrick, Shaunee Cole, Kelly Morse and Karen Pinco. You guys are fun, smart and gorgeous, all of you. To the merry band of writers better known as CTRWA, thank you for the love and support. Love and thanks to Jackie Decker, my BFF and sister-in-law (the Holy Rollers and Ark Angels were her ideas, so blame her). Thanks to my mom for telling us the story of Mickey the Fire Engine so many times when we were small…the thrill has yet to fade! Huge thanks to my brother-in-law, Brian Keenan, Esq., for his input

on legal issues (any mistakes are mine, all mine). Claire Shanahan Bacon named Beauty, Parker’s dog, and the dog’s personality grew from there. Maura Fehon was my lovely and hardworking summer intern—thank you, honey!

I am very blessed to be able to claim so many writers as dear friends, but this time around, thanks especially to Robyn Carr, Susan Andersen, Jill Shalvis, Cindy Gerard, Joan Kayse and Elizabeth Hoyt. And thanks especially to Robyn for letting me steal a certain salty expression Lavinia uses. You’ll know it when you see it.

Thank you to my two wonderful kids who only grow more delightful, and to my sainted husband, who is the love of my life, even after all these years…especially after all these years.

And you, dear readers, for the letters and notes which bring me such joy…thank you from the bottom of my heart.

This book is dedicated to my daughter Flannery,

who is my treasure, my joy and my heart.

Contents

CHAPTER ONE (#u81016719-26f4-5360-aa07-b8ad7bf93a20)

CHAPTER TWO (#ud15df1d6-c753-57e4-ab0c-8275836c3a02)

CHAPTER THREE (#u77a9e56d-3914-5105-ada5-382284f374d9)

CHAPTER FOUR (#u7aa75267-cb87-5e47-8c8e-b605aa4b1c4e)

CHAPTER FIVE (#uce045fd5-b874-5fc4-ab61-895325aa3056)

CHAPTER SIX (#ueb14bd75-1610-5cad-a34b-279b94cf4c7f)

CHAPTER SEVEN (#u272407a1-4956-5846-9d86-35704ebf1f77)

CHAPTER EIGHT (#u7ae9bca0-02c0-5487-845c-0fcfad95f30b)

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 FIFTEEN (#litres_trial_promo)

CHAPTER SIXTEEN (#litres_trial_promo)

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN (#litres_trial_promo)

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN (#litres_trial_promo)

CHAPTER NINETEEN (#litres_trial_promo)

CHAPTER TWENTY (#litres_trial_promo)

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE (#litres_trial_promo)

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO (#litres_trial_promo)

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE (#litres_trial_promo)

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR (#litres_trial_promo)

CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE (#litres_trial_promo)

CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX (#litres_trial_promo)

CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN (#litres_trial_promo)

CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT (#litres_trial_promo)

CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE (#litres_trial_promo)

CHAPTER THIRTY (#litres_trial_promo)

CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE (#litres_trial_promo)

CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO (#litres_trial_promo)

CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE (#litres_trial_promo)

CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR (#litres_trial_promo)

CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE (#litres_trial_promo)

CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX (#litres_trial_promo)

CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN (#litres_trial_promo)

CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT (#litres_trial_promo)