by Marie Force
And I Love You copyright © 2015 HTJB, Inc
It’s Love, Only Love copyright © 2015 HTJB, Inc
Ain’t She Sweet copyright © 2016 HTJB, Inc
Background image © Click Bestsellers/Shutterstock. And I Love You cover photos © cultura Photography/Veer (couple), © Simon Bratt (background), Nicolesa (window) Shutterstock. It’s Love, Only Love cover photos © Asia Images/Getty Images (couple), Rostislav Glinsky/Shuttertock (background). Ain’t She Sweet cover images © PeopleImages/Getty Images (couple) and nexus 7, Dmitry Sedakov, briddy/Shutterstock (background composite) Cover design www.isitdesign.co.uk
Author photo © Pamela Sardinha
The right of Marie Force to be identified as the Author of the Works has been asserted by her in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
Published by arrangement with Berkley,
A member of Penguin Group (USA) LLC,
A Penguin Random House Company.
First published as this Ebook omnibus in 2017
by HEADLINE ETERNAL
An imprint of HEADLINE PUBLISHING GROUP
And I Love You is published in the USA as And I Love Her It’s Love, Only Love is published in the USA as It’s Only Love
Apart from any use permitted under UK copyright law, this publication may only be reproduced, stored, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means, with prior permission in writing of the publishers or, in the case of reprographic production, in accordance with the terms of licences issued by the Copyright Licensing Agency.
All characters in this publication are fictitious and any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.
Cataloguing in Publication Data is available from the British Library
eISBN 978 1 4722 5501 3
HEADLINE PUBLISHING GROUP
An Hachette UK Company
Carmelite House
50 Victoria Embankment
London EC4Y 0DZ
www.headlineeternal.com
www.headline.co.uk
www.hachette.co.uk
Contents
Title Page
Copyright Page
About the Author
Praise for Marie Force
By Marie Force
About the Book
And I Love You
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
Chapter 32
Epilogue
Acknowledgments
It’s Love, Only Love
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
Epilogue
Acknowledgments
Ain’t She Sweet
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
Epilogue
Author’s Note
Find Out More About Headline Eternal
About the Author
With more than 4 million books sold, Marie Force is the New York Times bestselling and award-winning author of more than forty contemporary romances, including the Green Mountain series, the McCarthys of Gansett Island series, the Fatal series, the Treading Water series and numerous standalone books. While her husband was in the U.S. 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.
Join Marie at www.marieforce.com to get news on her latest books, or follow her on Twitter: @marieforce and Facebook: www.facebook.com/MarieForceAuthor.
Fall in love with Marie Force’s Green Mountain series
‘The Green Mountain series are romance stories written to perfection! Marie Force just has that something special in her writing that you cannot get enough of. With each book this series gets better. You just fall more in love with this family chapter by chapter, book by book. If you have not read Marie Force you truly are missing out on something special’ Guilty Pleasures
‘Marie Force has done it again, with a wonderful romance, a couple with some issues, and a super family that we want to continue to spend time with . . . If you enjoy romance, a great family, small town and wonderful couples, not to mention sweet fun sexy stories, then you need to read this series’ The Reading Cafe
‘How does Marie Force keep making me fall in love with this family over and over again? It’s her perfect writing and descriptions that pull at your heart and never let you go’ Fresh Fiction
‘Force vividly describes scenery, includes burn-up-the-sheets moments, and writes a loving romance’ Romance Junkies
‘I adore coming back to Butler, Vermont to catch up with the big, loving Abbott family every time!’ Waves of Fiction
‘Read this book when you are looking to be cheered up, whether it is in bed on a rainy day or poolside on a perfect summer day, Ain’t She Sweet is the perfect read’ Book Briefs
‘There is no doubt in my mind that I will read this book again. From beginning to end, I gobbled it up!’ Straight Shootin’ Book Reviews
‘I loved the banter, family dynamics, and the journey to finding true love. I don’t think Force could have written better family. She makes me want to be a part of it!’ Romance at Random
By Marie Force
Green Mountain Series
Your Love Is All I Need
(published in the USA as All You Need Is Love)
Let Me Hold Your Hand
(published in the USA as I Want To Hold Your Hand)
I Saw You Standing There
(published in the USA as I Saw Her Standing There)
And I Love You
(published in the USA as And I Love Her)
You’ll Be Mine
; (A Green Mountain Novella)
It’s Love, Only Love
(published in the USA as It’s Only Love)
Ain’t She Sweet
About the Book
Meet the charming Abbott family of Green Mountain in this heartwarming and sexy collection by New York Times bestseller Marie Force.
Can he convince the woman of his dreams that his love is for keeps? Find out in AND I LOVE YOU . . . As the chief financial officer of the family firm, Hunter Abbott prides himself on his ability to fix things for the people he loves. But one thing he can’t fix is his undeniable attraction to Megan Kane – and he’s prepared to do whatever it takes to show Megan that he’s the man for her. Megan’s world is rocked by the news that she’ll soon be alone and out of a job when her beloved sister moves overseas. She finds herself leaning on the sexy, buttoned-up 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. If she risks her heart with Hunter, will he keep it safe?
Can her love heal his broken heart? Find out in IT’S LOVE, ONLY LOVE . . . Ella Abbott has long been secretly in love with Gavin Guthrie. She sees that he’s in a bad place and that he believes he has nothing to offer her. But one unforgettable kiss gives Ella hope. It’s been seven years since Gavin lost his brother. He thought he had his grief under control, until recent painful reminders of his loss sent him spiralling. Gavin knows it wouldn’t be fair to drag Ella into his darkness, but being around her soothes his aching heart. And if they can fight his demons together, maybe a future filled with love is possible after all.
What’s the best distraction from a broken leg? Find out in AIN’T SHE SWEET . . . Charlotte ‘Charley’ Abbott lives life on her own terms and, after a painful betrayal, she won’t risk her heart again. So a leg injury that puts a temporary stop to her independence is a catastrophe. Especially when it means being looked after by Tyler Westcott. Charley’s always claimed not to be interested in Tyler, but he sees past her prickly veneer to the real woman beneath. With a little help from Tyler, and some well-meaning meddling from her loyal siblings, can Charley be persuaded to take a leap into the unknown – and open herself to love?
***And I Love You is published in the USA as And I Love Her***
***It’s Love, Only Love is published in the USA as It’s Only Love***
For more spellbinding Green Mountain romance, check out the whole series: Your Love Is All I Need, Let Me Hold Your Hand, I Saw You Standing There, And I Love You, You’ll Be Mine, It’s Love, Only Love and Ain’t She Sweet.
CHAPTER 1
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 Realtor 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, t
oo.”
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?”