Release Day Launch: And I Love Her: Marie Force
And I Love Her
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(Releases March 3, 2015)
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As the oldest of the ten Abbott siblings, Hunter prides himself on his ability to solve other people’s problems, but now he has a problem of his own—how to convince the woman of his dreams that his love is for keeps.
As the chief financial officer, Hunter Abbott manages the family’s various business interests while “fixing” things for the people he loves. But the one thing he can’t fix is his undeniable attraction to Megan Kane. Instead, Hunter is prepared to do whatever it takes to show Megan that he’s the man for her.
Megan’s sister rocks her with the news that she and her husband are moving overseas, leaving Megan truly alone. With her sister—and her job at the diner—going away, Megan finds herself leaning on the sexy, button-down accountant who isn’t afraid to lay it all on the line for her. But Megan has watched too many people she loves leave her. Can she risk her heart on Hunter?
Contains a bonus Green Mountain short story!
Chapter
1
Business
opportunities are like buses, there’s always another one coming.
—Sir Richard Branson, founder of Virgin Group
—Sir Richard Branson, founder of Virgin Group
When her
sister and brother-in-law said they wanted to talk to her at the diner Monday
evening, Megan Kane assumed they were going to tell her they were finally
expecting the niece or nephew she’d wanted for as long as they’d been married.
But the words that came from Brett and Nina in stuttering, halting sentences
had nothing to do with babies.
“Moving
overseas.”
“Selling the
diner.”
“So sorry to do
this to you.”
“It was an
amazing opportunity.”
“We couldn’t say
no.”
“You can come
with us.” Nina seemed crushed to be delivering this news to her “baby” sister,
who was almost twenty-eight and hardly a baby anymore. “I’d love that. We could
run around and explore together while Brett is at work. It would be so fun.”
Megan shook off
the shock and found her voice. “No. You’ve been taking care of me since you
were twenty-two, Neen. It’s time to go live your life. I’ll be fine.”
“We really do
mean it when we say you should come with us,” Brett said. He was always so kind
to her, never once in all these years acting as if her tight bond with his wife
was a problem for him.
“I can’t do that.
I can’t crash your party. I’ve been around your necks long enough as it is.”
“You’re hardly
around our necks, Megan,” Nina said. “We could have so much fun! Would you
think about it before you automatically say no? Please?”
“Fine.” Megan
said what her sister needed to hear. “I’ll think about it.”
“Great!” Nina
said, beaming with pleasure at the small victory.
“If you decide to
stay here, we’ll help you find another job,” Brett said. “Maybe the new owners
of the diner would want to keep you on. They’d be crazy not to.”
He’d been a
terrific brother-in-law to her since he married her sister nine years ago. A
teacher at a nearby boys’ prep school, he’d apparently applied for overseas
positions in the past but they’d never materialized until now.
Work at Nina’s
Diner without Nina? Unthinkable. “I’ll figure something out. You guys don’t
need to worry about me.”
“Of course we’ll
worry about you, Meg.” Nina reached for her sister’s hand across the table. “I
don’t know how not to worry about you.”
“It’s probably
time I got a life of my own.” Megan tried to stay calm even as she panicked on
the inside. Not see Nina every day? Unbearable. “Mom and Dad would be horrified
if they knew I was still living in the garage apartment.”
“They’d be proud
of you.”
“No, they’d be
proud of you, but you
deserve it. You’ve created such a wonderful business here, and now you have
this fantastic opportunity to travel. I’d never hold you guys back from doing
what you want.”
Brett’s relief
was so visible he practically sagged under the weight of it. Obviously, they’d
worried about telling her their news. “You really can come with us if you want
to, Megan,” he said. “It would be great to have you in France.”
“I’d love to come
visit while you’re there, but this is home.” In reality, Nina was home
to her, not Butler or the house where they’d once lived with their parents, but
Megan kept those thoughts to herself.
“You said you’d think
about it!” Nina said.
“Neen, I can’t
just go traipsing off to France, as fun as that sounds. I need to figure out my
life and what I’m going to do with it. I can’t do that in France. I don’t want
either of you to worry about me. I swear I’ll be fine.”
“Are you sure?”
Nina asked tearfully. “You’d tell me if you didn’t mean that, wouldn’t you?”
“I’m very sure.”
Megan kept her emotions out of it—for now anyway. “This could turn out to be a
good thing for me. It’ll give me the kick in the butt I’ve needed to move on.”
Megan had been marching in place for more than ten years, since the snowy night
they lost their parents in a car crash during her senior year of high school.
Nina had been her
rock ever since, acting as mother, father and big sister all rolled into one.
The sisters had held on to each other for all these years, and the thought of
everyday life without Nina was unfathomable to Megan.
“If you agree,
we’re going to rent the house,” Brett said, “but the garage apartment is all
yours for as long as you want or need it. We told the rental agent the garage
wasn’t part of the deal.”
“Of course I
agree. No sense the house sitting vacant when you could be making some money.”
Her brother-in-law’s sweetness nearly broke her emotional dam, but she refused
to cry in front of them. Since there were going to be tears—and lots of
them—she had to get out of there immediately. No way would she make them feel
bad about something they were so excited about. Knowing she was on borrowed
time where the tears were concerned, Megan gathered up her belongings and
stood. “I’ll see you guys in the morning.”
“Let me drive you
home,” Nina said.
“That’s okay. I
could use the fresh air after being inside all afternoon.” They’d used their
afternoon and evening “off” to do their monthly deep clean of the diner.
“You’re sure
you’re all right?” Nina asked.
Megan bent to
kiss her sister’s cheek. “I’m fine, and I’m thrilled for both of you.”
Nina held her
tight for a minute. “Love you, Meggie.”
Megan couldn’t
remember the last time Nina had called her by her childhood nickname. “Love
you, too.”
Feeling as if
she’d been set adrift, untethered from the one sure thing in her life, Megan
stepped out of the diner, taking a moment to breathe in the fresh, clean
early-autumn air. The tears she’d managed to contain in front of Nina and Brett
broke loose in sobs that had her looking for a place to hide until the storm
passed.
She crossed the
street and ducked behind the Green Mountain Country Store, planning to hide out
until Brett and Nina left for home.
The last thing
she wanted was for them to see her crying, and nothing short of a miracle would
help her keep it together tonight.
After
another twelve-hour marathon in front of the computer, Hunter Abbott stood and
stretched out the kinks in his shoulders and back. As the chief financial
officer for the Green Mountain Country Store and other Abbott family
businesses, Hunter worked pretty much all the time. If it weren’t for the
pressing need for food that his body demanded every few hours, he’d probably
work around the clock.
It wasn’t like he
had anything better to do. And wasn’t that a sad, pathetic fact of his life?
His stomach let
out an unholy growl that had him checking the time on his computer. Nine ten.
With the diner closed today, that left pizza as his only option in town at this
hour. He dialed the number to Kingdom Pizza from memory and ordered a small
veggie and a salad. If he was resorting to eating junk, at least it was
somewhat healthy. Before his twin sister, Hannah, had remarried over the
summer, Hunter might’ve headed for her house to bum some dinner and
conversation. But with Nolan now living with Hannah and the two of them in
starry-eyed newly wedded bliss, Hunter steered clear.
He turned off his
computer and glanced at the stack of files still awaiting his attention. Bring
them home or leave them for tomorrow? After a brief internal debate, he shut
off the light and left them. His tank was running on empty, and tomorrow would
bring more of the same.
In the outer
office, he was surprised to find the light still on in his sister Ella’s
office. He went over to knock on her door. “You’re working late.”
“As are you.”
“Except I always
do. What’s your excuse?”
“Getting some new
products entered into the system, and dealing with a pile of paperwork that
never seems to get smaller no matter what I do.”
“I hear you
there. So much for being self-employed, huh?”
She smiled at
him, but he noted a hint of sadness in her eyes that caught him by surprise.
Ella was one of the most joyful people he’d ever known—always happy and upbeat.
“Everything
okay?”
“Sure. Why do you
ask?”
“You just
seemed . . . I don’t know . . . sad or something
for a second there.”
“I’m fine. No
need to worry.”
“Okay then.”
Hunter took a step back, planning to leave, but there it was again—the sadness
he’d seen before. “You know if there’s anything wrong, you can come to me,
right? We may see each other a thousand times a day, but I’m right over there
if you need me. No matter what it is.”
“Thank you,
Hunter. That’s very sweet of you. I know you want to take care of everything
for all of us, but some things . . . Well, some things can’t be
managed. They are what they are.”
More confused
than ever, Hunter wasn’t sure whether he should stay and try to force the issue
or give her some space to deal with whatever was bothering her. “I’m here, El.
I’m right here. Don’t suffer in silence.”
Her smile
softened her face. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“Do you want me
to wait for you so you’re not here alone?”
“No. I’ve got
another hour or so, and I can lock up.”
“Give me a quick
call to let me know you got home okay.”
“Hunter . . .”
“What? You’ll
always be my little sister, so call me.”
“I’m only four
years younger than you.”
“And I vividly
remember the day you were born.”
“Freak.”
Hunter chuckled
at the predictable comment. His family teased him every day about his
photographic memory and ability to recall facts and figures from years ago that
should’ve been impossible to remember. Sometimes he wished he could forget some
of the crap that rattled around in his brain, but it was his lot in life to be
a walking, talking data warehouse. “See you in the morning.”
“Have a good
night.”
“Call me.”
“Go!”
Hunter went down
the stairs thinking about what Ella had said about him wanting to take care of
things for everyone. Perhaps it was also his lot in life as the oldest of the
ten Abbott siblings, but he wanted the people he loved to be happy and their
problems to be few, even if that meant taking on more than his share of the
load.
Hannah had been
after him recently to work less and play more. If only he could think of
something he’d rather do than work.
Totally pathetic.
He knew it, but damn if he could figure out how to snap out of the rut he’d
fallen into. When had he become an all-work, no-play stick in the mud? If he
were being honest with himself, he’d been in the rut for a long time, probably
since he graduated from college and joined the family business full time.
College had been the last time he’d been truly free of responsibility and
obligation.
Thinking about
the blissful college days had him remembering his late brother-in-law Caleb,
Hannah’s first husband, who’d died in Iraq seven years ago. If he came back to
life and saw how ridiculously out of balance Hunter’s life had become, he’d
raise holy hell.
Raising holy hell
was on Hunter’s mind as he stepped into the cool darkness and waited for the
motion-sensitive light to come on. Once it did, he turned to lock the door
behind him. Ella would see to setting the alarm system. Leaving her alone at the
store made him anxious, but he would check on her if she didn’t remember to
call him.
A sound to his
left had him stopping to listen. Was that sniffling? “Who’s there?”
“It’s me, Megan.
I’m sorry to scare you.”
That
voice . . . It cut through him like a knife slicing butter.
Every nerve ending in his body stood up to take note of her nearness, which
happened every damned time he came into any kind of contact with her. “Megan,”
he said in a voice that was barely a whisper. “What’re you doing here in the dark?”
“Hiding out.”
“Why? Are you
hurt? What’s wrong?” True to form, he wanted to make things right for her, no
matter what it took. His heart beat quickly, as if he’d been running for miles,
and his hands were suddenly sweaty and clammy. He’d never understand why this
particular woman provoked such a strong reaction in him every time he laid eyes
on her—or in this case, heard tears in her voice as she spoke in the dark.
“Nothing’s wrong.
I just needed a minute. Sorry to trespass on your property. I’ll get out of
your way.”
“Wait. Don’t go.”
The words came out sounding far more desperate than he’d intended. “At least
let me drive you home.”
“That’s all
right. I can walk.”
“I wouldn’t mind
at all.”
She stepped into
the light, and the sight of her tear-ravaged face broke his heart. What could
possibly be so wrong?
“It’s out of your
way.”
“I’ve got nowhere
to be.” He watched her expressive face as she pondered his offer. Her lips
pursed, which brought her cheekbones into sharper relief against the pale skin
on her face. Exquisite was the word that came to mind whenever he looked at her,
which was as often as he could. Until recently she’d had a major crush on his
brother Will, but that had no bearing whatsoever on how he felt about her. He
looked at her, and he wanted. It was that simple.
Except she barely
knew he was alive, which was a problem.
“If you’re sure
you don’t mind,” she said after an impossibly long pause.
“I really don’t.”
“Thank you.”
She walked with
him to his silver Lincoln Navigator and stood by his side as he held the
passenger door and waited for her to get settled.
As he got into
the driver’s side, his growling stomach reminded him of the take-out order.
“Have you had dinner?” The words were out before he could take the time to
overanalyze the situation.
“Not yet.”
“I have a pizza
and salad on order. I’d be happy to share.”
“I don’t know if
I could eat.”
“Come along and
keep me company?”
“Um, sure. Okay.”
She reached into her purse, withdrew a tissue and wiped her eyes.
“Are you going to
tell me why you were crying?”
“Do I have to?”
“Of course not.”
He was surprised that she would think he’d try to force it out of her. “But I’m
told I’m a good listener.”
She had no reply
to that, so he turned the key to start the engine, lowering the windows a bit
to get some air.
“I probably stink
from cleaning the diner,” she said.
“No, you don’t.”
As he drove, he thought of a thousand things he’d like to say to her, but none
were the sort of things a guy blurted out when he finally had a moment alone
with the woman he desired.
How exactly did
you tell a woman who barely knew you were alive that you thought about her
constantly? That seeing her upset killed you. That wanting her kept you awake
at night. How did you tell her it didn’t matter if she had once been obsessed
with your brother? That there was nothing you wouldn’t do to see her smile, to
see her pale blue eyes light up with joy?
How could he say
any of that and not sound like a total creep?
He couldn’t, so
he kept his mouth shut and hoped he wouldn’t do something embarrassing like
hyperventilate from the overwhelming effort it took not to say all of it.
And I Love Her is another heartwarming visit to Green Mountain and the Abbott family. Hunter Abbott and Megan Kane are both homegrown residents of Green Mountain. When Megan learns her sister is selling the diner and moving to France, her world seems to collapse. It won’t be long and she won’t have the one family member left in her daily life, nor will she have a job, or a reason to stay in Green Mountain.
With Will Abbott’s advise that she may have spent the last few years pining after the wrong Abbott brother, and knowing that Will is moving on with his life with Cameron, Megan can’t think of any reason to stay. Except for that wonder in the back of her mind about what exactly Will meant by his comment.
Hunter has known Megan was it for him, even when all she could see was his younger brother. He held out hope that one day she would see him instead, only now there’s a chance she will leave town before he gets a chance with her.
With some (expected) meddling from Hunter’s father and grandfather, a plan is hatched to keep Megan in town and give Hunter a chance to finally make his move.
Hunter has always been so sure of his feelings for Megan that it wasn’t hard to root for him from the very first pages of this book. Though their actual book only covers a relatively short period of time, his determination makes it feel like just the right pace. And watching the usually so precise, planned out Hunter make moves with little to no plan, embracing the spontaneity that he feels when he’s with Megan meant I often had a grin on my face while I was reading.
I love the dynamics among this family. From Elmer and Lincoln’s interference, to the siblings’ inability to stay out of each other’s lives, there are plenty of humorous moments interspersed with the emotional ones. As has been established in the series, there are glimpses of Ella’s heartache (which I hope will be the focus of the next novel) and bits and pieces of the siblings who have already found their matches.
While Hunter and Megan’s story didn’t feel as emotional as the previous Abbott sibling’s stories, it was no less a solid read. Hunter and Megan had such a different journey, with the only a few hurdles to maneuver rather than the more emotional and deep-seated hurdles faced by Hannah and Nolan, Will and Cameron, and Colton and Lucy.
I was gifted a copy in exchange for an honest review.
With Will Abbott’s advise that she may have spent the last few years pining after the wrong Abbott brother, and knowing that Will is moving on with his life with Cameron, Megan can’t think of any reason to stay. Except for that wonder in the back of her mind about what exactly Will meant by his comment.
Hunter has known Megan was it for him, even when all she could see was his younger brother. He held out hope that one day she would see him instead, only now there’s a chance she will leave town before he gets a chance with her.
With some (expected) meddling from Hunter’s father and grandfather, a plan is hatched to keep Megan in town and give Hunter a chance to finally make his move.
Hunter has always been so sure of his feelings for Megan that it wasn’t hard to root for him from the very first pages of this book. Though their actual book only covers a relatively short period of time, his determination makes it feel like just the right pace. And watching the usually so precise, planned out Hunter make moves with little to no plan, embracing the spontaneity that he feels when he’s with Megan meant I often had a grin on my face while I was reading.
I love the dynamics among this family. From Elmer and Lincoln’s interference, to the siblings’ inability to stay out of each other’s lives, there are plenty of humorous moments interspersed with the emotional ones. As has been established in the series, there are glimpses of Ella’s heartache (which I hope will be the focus of the next novel) and bits and pieces of the siblings who have already found their matches.
While Hunter and Megan’s story didn’t feel as emotional as the previous Abbott sibling’s stories, it was no less a solid read. Hunter and Megan had such a different journey, with the only a few hurdles to maneuver rather than the more emotional and deep-seated hurdles faced by Hannah and Nolan, Will and Cameron, and Colton and Lucy.
I was gifted a copy in exchange for an honest review.
Hoping
to take the magic of the island and move it to the mountains with the
Abbot family, purveyors of the odd and hard to find relics of a time
long gone by in small-town Vermont. Hope you'll come with me to the
Green Mountains! Watch for the first book in the series in early 2014!
The family-run Green Mountain Country Store is cherished by locals as a reminder of simpler times. The Abbott children are determined to keep it that way—but their father has different plans…
When Cameron Murphy heads to Vermont to build a website for a new client, she imagines a more relaxing trip than she gets. After wrecking her car by colliding with the town moose, she meets the most handsome hero she’s ever seen. Unfortunately, her savior, Will Abbott, is also the son of her client—and he wants nothing to do with the new website or the city girl creating it.
For all Will cares, Cameron can march her fancy boots right out of town and out of his family’s business. But he can’t seem to get her out of his head. As his family’s dispute heats up, so does the chemistry between the two, leaving them wondering if simple is better after all—especially when it comes to matters of the heart.
The family-run Green Mountain Country Store is cherished by locals as a reminder of simpler times. The Abbott children are determined to keep it that way—but their father has different plans…
When Cameron Murphy heads to Vermont to build a website for a new client, she imagines a more relaxing trip than she gets. After wrecking her car by colliding with the town moose, she meets the most handsome hero she’s ever seen. Unfortunately, her savior, Will Abbott, is also the son of her client—and he wants nothing to do with the new website or the city girl creating it.
For all Will cares, Cameron can march her fancy boots right out of town and out of his family’s business. But he can’t seem to get her out of his head. As his family’s dispute heats up, so does the chemistry between the two, leaving them wondering if simple is better after all—especially when it comes to matters of the heart.
For
the Abbott siblings, the Green Mountain state has always been an
idyllic place to call home. But it isn’t until they open themselves up
to love that they’ll truly discover how fulfilling life can be…
Almost seven years after losing her husband in Iraq, Hannah Abbott Guthrie isn’t sure she’s ready—or able—to move on, but the attentions of a lifelong friend are making her think about it for the first time. The memory of the sweet kiss she shared with Nolan Roberts hasn’t strayed far from her thoughts, but she also fears that pursuing something with him would mean betraying her husband’s memory.
Nolan has loved Hannah for years, but he’d been giving her the space she needed to heal from her devastating loss. Now, when an opportunity arises to show her how he feels, Nolan can’t resist, but he knows earning her love will take more than a kiss. Somehow he has to prove to Hannah that finding love twice in a lifetime is possible—and well worth risking her heart.
I SAW HER STANDING THERE
Rachel's 4.5 star review
There’s a budding romance on Butler Mountain, but in the hornets’ nest known as the Abbott family, keeping a secret is no easy feat…
Almost seven years after losing her husband in Iraq, Hannah Abbott Guthrie isn’t sure she’s ready—or able—to move on, but the attentions of a lifelong friend are making her think about it for the first time. The memory of the sweet kiss she shared with Nolan Roberts hasn’t strayed far from her thoughts, but she also fears that pursuing something with him would mean betraying her husband’s memory.
Nolan has loved Hannah for years, but he’d been giving her the space she needed to heal from her devastating loss. Now, when an opportunity arises to show her how he feels, Nolan can’t resist, but he knows earning her love will take more than a kiss. Somehow he has to prove to Hannah that finding love twice in a lifetime is possible—and well worth risking her heart.
I SAW HER STANDING THERE
Rachel's 4.5 star review
There’s a budding romance on Butler Mountain, but in the hornets’ nest known as the Abbott family, keeping a secret is no easy feat…
Colton Abbott and Lucy Mulvaney have
a secret. Colton’s nosy siblings have begun to put the pieces together,
but it’s not like Lucy to keep things from those closest to
her—especially her best friend, Cameron, who recently moved to Vermont
to live with her true love, Will. But Lucy isn’t about to tell Cam she’s
having a fling…with Will’s brother.
Flitting between New York and
Vermont is exhausting, so Lucy is looking forward to a long weekend with
Colton at the Abbott family lake house in Burlington. Too bad Will and
Cameron have the same idea, and once Colton and Lucy are caught
red-handed (and red-faced), will their clandestine romance lose its
appeal or will their secret beginnings be the start of something
lasting?
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With more than 3 million books sold, Marie
Force is the New York Times, USA Today and
Wall Street Journal bestselling, award-winning author of more than
30 contemporary romances. Her New York Times bestselling
self-published McCarthys of Gansett Island Series has sold more than 1 million
e-books since Maid for Love was released in 2011. She is also
the author of the New York Times bestselling Fatal Series from
Harlequin’s Carina Press, as well as the Treading Water Series and numerous
stand-alone books. All You Need is Love, book 1 in her new Green
Mountain Series from Berkley Sensation, was a New York Times and USA
Today bestseller in February. The second book, I Want to Hold
Your Hand, will be out in June, and the third book, I Saw Her Standing
There, is coming in November. In 2014, Marie will have eight mass-market
print releases—the first five Fatal Series books from Harlequin and the first
three Green Mountain Series books from Berkley. While her husband was in the
Navy, Marie lived in Spain, Maryland and Florida, and she is now settled in her
home state of Rhode Island. She is the mother of two teenagers and two feisty
dogs, Brandy and Louie.
1 comments
I love reading romance!! They make me feel good inside & I love the angst that is usually present!
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