The Man She Married

The Man She Married
Muriel Jensen

Gideon and Prue Hale are still married–but try telling that to Prue. Even though no papers have been signed, as far as Prue's concerned it's over. She can never forgive Gideon's betrayal.When Gideon comes to Maple Hill with an offer to help get her fledgling clothing design company some publicity, Prue has trouble turning him down. Especially when Gideon is being so nice. There's only one catch–she has to pretend they're still happily married, for his aunt's sake. But while playing her part, Prue realizes she misses Gideon. And might still love him…

Feelings of anger and betrayal flooded her all over again, but Prue suppressed them

She needed to remember things clearly.

The woman’s arm had been straight, as though she was pushing on Gideon’s chest. Pushing him down? Pushing him away? But what had he been doing? Had he simply tried to push her off him and his hand had connected with her breast?

Prue punched the pillow. She couldn’t believe that. She was obviously desperate to make it seem as though he had a defense. So, why was she doing it?

Because Gideon’s kindness now made her second-guess herself. She had to get some sleep. Tomorrow she had to play the role of loving wife. Curiously, that role had seemed easier to undertake when Gideon was her enemy.

Now that she wasn’t so sure she hated him, acting as though she loved him would be dangerous.

Dear Reader,

Old love rekindled is one of my favorite plotlines because conflict is built in. No relationship is as interesting as one between two people who know each other’s faults and foibles and are forced to reconnect. The old dynamite that once brought them together will certainly be present, and there’ll be new discoveries to be made because of the years spent apart.

That’s precisely the case with Gideon and Prudence Hale. You can be sure that the road to love between a politician and a designer will be anything but straight and narrow. Thank you for wanting to join them.

Sincerely,

Muriel Jensen

P.O. Box 1168

Astoria, Oregon 97103

The Man She Married

Muriel Jensen

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

To Todd and Sarah Dielman, the world’s best neighbors.

CONTENTS

CHAPTER ONE

CHAPTER TWO

CHAPTER THREE

CHAPTER FOUR

CHAPTER FIVE

CHAPTER SIX

CHAPTER SEVEN

CHAPTER EIGHT

CHAPTER NINE

CHAPTER TEN

CHAPTER ELEVEN

CHAPTER TWELVE

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

CHAPTER ONE

PRUDENCE HALE THOUGHT later that she should have known it was all too good to last. Her first line of clothes had been a tremendous success at the fashion show to benefit the Maple Hill Library. She’d made a small fortune for them and for herself.

And as she stood in the parking lot of the Breakfast Barn Restaurant, along with a crowd of other nosy onlookers, watching her sister Paris and Randy Sanford—the town’s favorite EMT—kiss and make up with embarrassing sincerity, she thought the morning could not be more perfect. After a difficult courtship, the two were reconciled at last.

Life was good and moving forward on most levels.

Then Prue heard a deep voice say, “Hello, Prue.”

Air seemed to leave her lungs and her pulse stalled.

No, she thought. Not when I’m finally on the right track. Not after this long, dark year when at last I’m living my life and not his. Please!

She turned slowly to discover that all her prayers had been denied. There he was. Gideon.

She didn’t know what shocked her most, the sight of his handsome face in the town that had been her comfort and haven since the Maine Incident, or the fact that he was in the company of Hank Whitcomb, one of Maple Hill’s foremost employers.

What was he doing here? Her pulse had picked up again, but old emotion was a hard lump in her chest. She didn’t want to talk about the breakup, she didn’t want to think about her loss, she didn’t want to hear it all hashed over again. She just wanted to sign divorce papers and get him out of her life.

Of course, she hadn’t filed them yet. And, apparently, neither had he.

She had a hopeful thought. Maybe that’s why he was here.

As everyone else streamed back into the restaurant, he came toward her.