Husband Under Construction

Karen Templeton

Литагент HarperCollins EUR

Sometimes love just needs a little work…When her life went topsy-turvy, Roxie sought refuge in the town she’d left years before. But as she plunged into renovating a house as an antidote to heartbreak, she faced an obstacle: Noah – still as unattainable as he’d been years before. Noah’s love-‘em-and-leave-‘em exterior belied a hardworking, responsible man…one who made Roxie’s skin prickle with desire.To Noah’s surprise, Roxie haunted his every waking moment. But Noah had no desire for the white picket fence life of Roxie’s dreams. Could he come to terms with “happily ever after” – before Roxie left his life forever?

“I expected your dad.”

“He had other obligations. So I’m your man.”

In your dreams, buddy.

Although there was no reason, really, that being within fifty feet of the man should raise every hackle she possessed. Wasn’t as if there was any history between them, save for an ill-advised—and thankfully unrequited—crush her senior year of high school when grief had clearly addled her brain and Noah had been The Boy Every Girl Wanted. And, rumour had it, got more often than not. Well, except for Roxie.

Twelve years on, not a whole lot had changed, as far as she could tell. Not on Noah’s part, and—apparently—not on hers.

Which, on all counts, was too pathetic for words.

Dear Reader,

Anyone who’s ever had more than one child (or been part of a family with multiple siblings) will recognise Noah Garrett as The One Who Makes His Mother’s Heart Stop on a Regular Basis—the kid who fears nothing and nobody, the child most likely to come home bruised and bloody. Or with something gross or scary. And yet inside that daredevil kid often lurks a very sensitive soul, one that harbours doubts and fears he wouldn’t dream of confessing to anyone…or even to himself.

Like, for example, being scared to death of falling in love? Oh, yeah—even tough, cocky Noah has an Achilles’ heel, and her name is Roxie Ducharme…a gal who can definitely teach him a thing or two about overcoming adversity. And who, whether she means to or not, forces Noah to reassess everything he’s believed about himself up to this point.

Because only in the arms of a strong woman does a man become all he can be.

Enjoy!

Karen

About the Author

Since 1998, RITA

award-winner and Waldenbooks bestselling author KAREN TEMPLETON has written more than thirty books. A transplanted Easterner, she now lives in New Mexico with two hideously spoiled cats and whichever of her five sons happens to be in residence.

Husband Under

Construction

Karen Templeton

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

To my guys

who’ve been there for me literally and figuratively in every way that matters. My gratitude for all of you knows no bounds.

Chapter One

If you asked Noah Garrett’s mama to describe her son in one word, she’d immediately say, “Daredevil,” accompanied by the heavy sigh of a woman who’d seen the inside of the E.R. far, far too often.

Even as an infant, the boisterous New Mexico thunderstorms that sent his older brothers diving into their parents’ bed made him coo in delight. While other toddlers howled in fright if a dog licked their faces, Noah would howl with glee. As he got older, no tree or roof was too high to climb—or jump off of—no bug too big or ugly to examine, no basement too creepy to explore, no night too dark to sneak out into when he was supposed to be asleep. And woe betide the erstwhile playground bully who dared mess with Noah. Or any of his brothers.

So the churning gut as Noah said, “I’ll do it,” while staring his father down across the banged up desk in the tiny, cluttered office was highly uncharacteristic.

Not to mention unsettling. Especially as that churning gut had nothing to do with his father, who, yes, made Noah crazy on a regular basis but did not frighten him in the slightest. Behind him, on the other side of the open door,