by Marie Force
“Was she going on about the baby moose again?” Nolan asked, his mouth full of cheese and cracker.
“Maybe?” Lucas hesitated to toss his sister under the marital bus.
Nolan groaned. “She’s round the bend over that baby. Wanted to bring him in the house the other night because it was too cold for him outside. I have to keep telling her he’s a wild animal, not a house pet.”
“He’ll be a house pet by the time she’s done with him.”
“That’s what I’m afraid of—having a full-grown bull moose in bed between me and my wife.”
Lucas snorted with laughter. “Might be a good idea to nip that in the bud.”
“Ya think?”
“What’re we nipping in the bud?” Lucas’s father, Lincoln, asked as he came from the family room to join them.
“Hannah’s affair with the baby moose,” Nolan said. “If she had her way, he’d be in bed with us.”
“Oh dear,” Linc said. “Probably best to not let that happen.”
“I hate to tell you this, Linc, but there’re times when your daughter is downright unmanageable,” Nolan said.
“She gets that from her mother,” Linc said.
“I can hear you, Lincoln Abbott,” Molly said, “and you will pay for that later.”
“Sorry, Nolan,” Linc said. “You’re on your own.” Heading toward his wife, Lincoln said, “You heard me wrong, love.”
“No, I did not.”
“No wonder my wife is nuts,” Nolan said. “She was raised in a nuthouse.”
Lucas cracked a grin. “You’re just figuring that out now?”
“Oh, I’ve known it for a while.” Nolan had grown up with Lucas’s older siblings and had been in and out of the Abbotts’ barn for decades. Nolan’s crush on Hannah had developed years after his close friend Caleb had died. And no one doubted Nolan’s fierce love for his wife, despite her moose antics.
The door to the mudroom slammed shut, jolting Caden.
Lucas rubbed the baby’s back. “Easy, buddy.”
“Quit slamming that door,” Molly said to Landon.
“Sorry, Mom.” Landon laid a loud smacker on Molly’s cheek. “It’s my birthday. Don’t I get a pass on door slamming?”
“No door slamming in this house, even on your birthday. It’s in the Abbott family rule book.”
“I never got my copy,” Landon said, making his twin smile. Lucas would’ve said the same thing. “Mom, you remember Amanda, right? I hope it’s okay that I invited her to join us.”
Lucas froze.
Landon had brought Amanda to their birthday dinner? No way.
“Of course it’s all right,” Molly said. “The more the merrier is the Abbott family motto, which you’d know if you’d read the rule book. Welcome to our insane asylum, Amanda.”
When Amanda laughed, Lucas wanted to turn to look at her, but remained rooted in place, barely able to breathe, let alone move. “Thank you so much for having me, Mrs. Abbott.”
“Please, call me Molly. Everyone does.”
Lucas listened to them with a surreal feeling of detachment as his mind raced to catch up. Amanda had come to their birthday dinner. With Landon.
Worst birthday ever.
Get Till There Was You here!
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Other Books By Marie Force
Love Always Boxed Set, First Books in Four of Marie’s Bestselling Series
Contemporary Romances Available from Marie Force
The Gansett Island Series
Get the entire Gansett Island Series
Gansett Island Boxed Set, Books 1-3
Gansett Island Boxed Set, Books 4-6
Gansett Island Boxed Set, Books 7-9
Gansett Island Boxed Set, Books 10-12
Gansett Island Boxed Set, Books 13-16
Gansett Island Boxed Set, Books 1-10.5
Gansett Island Boxed Set, Books 1-16
Book 1: Maid for Love
(Maddie & Mac)
Book 2: Fool for Love
(Joe & Janey)
Book 3: Ready for Love
(Luke & Sydney)
Book 4: Falling for Love
(Grant & Stephanie)
Book 5: Hoping for Love
(Evan & Grace)
Book 6: Season for Love
(Owen & Laura)
Book 7: Longing for Love
(Blaine & Tiffany)
Book 8: Waiting for Love
(Adam & Abby)
Book 9: Time for Love
(David & Daisy)
Book 10: Meant for Love
(Jenny & Alex)
Book 10.5: Chance for Love, A Gansett Island Novella (Jared & Lizzie)
Book 11: Gansett After Dark
(Owen & Laura)
Book 12: Kisses After Dark
(Shane & Katie)
Book 13: Love After Dark
(Paul & Hope)
Book 14: Celebration After Dark
(Big Mac & Linda)
Book 15: Desire After Dark
(Slim & Erin)
Book 16: Light After Dark
(Mallory & Quinn)
Book 17: Victoria & Shannon (Episode 1)
Book 18: Kevin & Chelsea (Episode 2)
A Gansett Island Christmas Novella
Book 19: Mine After Dark
(Riley & Nikki)
Book 20: Yours After Dark
(Finn & Chloe)
Book 21: Trouble After Dark
(Deacon & Julia)
The Green Mountain Series
Get the entire Green Mountain Series
Book 1: All You Need Is Love
(Will & Cameron)
Book 2: I Want to Hold Your Hand
(Nolan & Hannah)
Book 3: I Saw Her Standing There
(Colton & Lucy)
Book 4: And I Love Her
(Hunter & Megan)
Novella: You'll Be Mine
(Will & Cam’s Wedding)
Book 5: It's Only Love
(Gavin & Ella)
Book 6: Ain’t She Sweet
(Tyler & Charlotte)
The Butler, Vermont Series
(Continuation of Green Mountain)
Book 1: Every Little Thing
(Grayson & Emma)
Book 2: Can’t Buy Me Love
(Mary & Patrick)
Book 3: Here Comes the Sun
(Wade & Mia)
Book 4: Till There Was You
(Lucas & Dani)
The Treading Water Series
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Book 1: Treading Water
Book 2: Marking Time
Book 3: Starting Over
Book 4: Coming Home
Single Titles
Five Years Gone
One Year Home
Sex Machine
Sex God
Georgia on My Mind
True North
The Fall
Everyone Loves a Hero
Love at First Flight
Line of Scrimmage
The Quantum Series
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Book 1: Virtuous
(Flynn & Natalie)
Book 2: Valorous
(Flynn & Natalie)
Book 3: Victorious
(Flynn & Natalie)
Book 4: Rapturous
(Addie & Hayden)
Book 5: Ravenous
(Jasper & Ellie)
Book 6: Delirious
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Book 7: Outrageous
(Emmett & Leah)
Book 8: Famous
(Marlowe)
Tame Quantum Series
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Box Set 1, Books 1-3
Box Set 2, Books 4-6
Romantic Suspense Novels
Available from Marie Force
The Fatal Series
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One Night With You, A Fatal Series Prequel Novella
Book 1: Fatal Affair
Book 2: Fatal Justice
Book 3: Fatal Consequences
Book 3.5: Fatal Destiny The Wedding Novella
Book 4: Fatal Flaw
Book 5: Fatal Deception
Book 6: Fatal Mistake
Book 7: Fatal Jeopardy
Book 8: Fatal Scandal
Book 9: Fatal Frenzy
Book 10: Fatal Identity
Book 11: Fatal Threat
Book 12: Fatal Chaos
Book 13: Fatal Invasion
Book 14: Fatal Reckoning
Book 15: Fatal Accusation
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Historical Romance Available from Marie Force
The Gilded Series
Book 1: Duchess by Deception
Book 2: Deceived by Desire
About the Author
Marie Force is the New York Times bestselling author of contemporary romance, including the indie-published Gansett Island Series and the Fatal Series from Harlequin Books. In addition, she is the author of the Butler, Vermont Series, the Green Mountain Series and the erotic romance Quantum Series. Duchess By Deception is the first in her new historical romance Gilded Series, that will continue with Deceived By Desire in September 2019.
Her books have sold more than 8.5 million copies worldwide, have been translated into more than a dozen languages and have appeared on the New York Times bestseller list 30 times. She is also a USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestseller, a Speigel bestseller in Germany, a frequent speaker and publishing workshop presenter as well as a publisher through her Jack’s House Publishing romance imprint. She is a three-time nominee for the Romance Writers of America’s RITA® award for romance fiction.
Her goals in life are simple—to finish raising two happy, healthy, productive young adults, to keep writing books for as long as she possibly can and to never be on a flight that makes the news.
Join Marie's mailing list for news about new books and upcoming appearances in your area. Follow her on Facebook, Twitter @marieforce and on Instagram. Join one of Marie's many reader groups. Contact Marie at [email protected].
