"What does that mean?" Mac asked.
"It's when more than one publishing house wants to buy it. They bid against each other for it."
"No shit!" Quinn reached across the table and slapped his palm. "Way cool, bro."
Everyone around the table was smiling. Congratulating him. Asking questions. Cilla leaned closer and said, "Told you so."
She'd been his biggest cheerleader. She nuzzled his ear. "Gonna tell them the rest of it?"
"Maybe I should wait," he muttered.
"For what? They're all going to be excited."
"Wait for what?" Mia, who was sitting on his other side, punched his shoulder. "You holding out on us, Bren?"
"If you don't tell them, I will," Cilla threatened.
"Tell us what?" Rose asked.
Brendan took a deep breath. "My agent sent it to another agent in Hollywood. It's making the rounds, and no one has said it stinks yet."
"What does that mean?" Connor asked.
"It means they're trying to get it optioned. That they'd make a movie out of it," Raine said.
"Maybe," Brendan said. "No one has made an offer yet. And even if it gets optioned, it's a long way from that to an actual movie."
"That's...wow. That's great," Mia said.
All of his brothers, their girlfriends, his mother, Helen and Jamie crowded around him. Hugging him. Slapping him on the back.
Even Franny nosed her way in, her stumpy tail wagging furiously. She looked thinner than usual, but that was because both sides of her chest had been shaved after her injury. To keep her warm, Brendan had bought her a child's red Blackhawks sweater.
He bent to pet her now, rubbing the sweater against her ribs. "If there's a movie, Fran, they'll get a very handsome Aussie to play the brave dog," he said.
Cilla slipped out of her chair and hurried into the kitchen. She came back moments later with three bottles of champagne and a tray full of champagne flutes. "We need to have a toast," she said with a grin.
"How the hell did you pull that off?" Brendan asked her.
Cilla smiled at Rose. "I had a little help."
"I thought you guys were getting engaged," Rose confessed.
"Mom!" Brendan rolled his eyes. "We've been dating for, what? A couple of months?"
Rose shrugged. "When it's right, it's right."
Brendan's gaze found Cilla. She smiled at him, and he smiled back. Even though it had only been two months, they'd talked about it.
His mother hugged him, jerking his attention back to the present. "I'm so proud of you, Brendan," she said quietly. "Your father would be proud, too. He'd be so happy you're following your dream."
"Yeah?" Brendan watched his mother, saw nothing but happiness in her eyes. "He wouldn't be disappointed if I was eventually able to quit the force and write full time?"
Rose cupped his face in her hands. "He'd want you to do what you love doing. He'd want you to be happy. He'd be the proudest one here today."
"Thanks, Mom," he said, returning the hug. "That means a lot."
Rose reached out and pulled Cilla into her other side. "You two work on that engagement thing. I've never seen you happier, Brendan."
"I've never been happier." He picked up Cilla's hand and kissed her palm. "Cilla's the best thing that ever happened to me."
He'd already had plans for the first check he got for his book. He had his eye on an engagement ring he'd seen at Tiffany's. Seemed right to look there, since Tiffany had helped them crack their case.
And if he had any say in it, they wouldn't wait long to get married. He and Cilla had already started their happily ever after. They just needed to make it legal. Binding. Forever.
*****
Thank You
Thank you for reading Cover Me. I'm honored you chose one of my books, and hope you enjoyed it!
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My Books
(by series)
The Donovan Family
Love Me
Watch Me
Find Me
Trust Me
The Devereux Family
A Safe Place
The Woman He Knows
Bending the Rules
Welcome to Otter Tail
An Unlikely Setup
Can't Stand the Heat?
Life Rewritten
For Baby and Me
The McInnes Triplets
A Place Called Home
No Place Like Home
Home at Last
Door County
Small-Town Secrets
Small-Town Family
Stranger in a Small Town
Partners in Crime
In Her Defense
Family First
Cameron, Utah
Rodeo Man
For the Children
Cowboy With a Badge
The Fugitive Bride
The Marriage Protection Program
Stand-alone titles
Hometown Girl
Two on the Run
Family on the Run
To Love and Protect Her
A Thanksgiving to Remember
Someone to Watch Over Her
To Save His Child
The Dark Side of the Moon
An Honorable Man
An Innocent Man
Personal Best
About the Author
Two-time Rita finalist Margaret Watson published her first book in June, 1991. Since then, she has written thirty books for Silhouette Intimate Moments and Harlequin Superromance, as well as five titles in the Donovan Family series.
Margaret’s books have won or been finalists in many contests, including the Colorado Award of Excellence, Desert Rose Golden Quill, Holt Medallion, and National Reader’s Choice. Her most recent book, COVER ME, was released in April, 2015.
When she's not writing, Margaret practices veterinary medicine. She lives in the Chicago area with her husband, three daughters and a menagerie of pets.
Table of Contents
Copyright
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 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Epilogue
Thank You
My Books
About the Author
Table of Contents
Cover Me Page 32
