Falling for Love Read online

  He and his friend, Owen Lawry, exchanged glances as they played the last notes of “Bad Moon Rising” and launched into their anthem, “Take it Easy.” Life was good. His CD would be out by Christmas, he’d had an awesome time with his brothers, sister and extended family during his sister’s wedding and the tropical storm that followed. He’d gotten a new niece out of the storm, born to his brother Mac and sister-in-law Maddie.

  After a scary accident earlier in the summer, his father seemed to be on the mend from a head injury and broken arm. Even though “Big Mac” McCarthy wasn’t quite his old self yet, he was better than he’d been, which was good enough for Evan.

  Best of all, a table of young, pretty women had been sending flirtatious signals to him and Owen all evening. Evan had no doubt they’d have their pick of the ladies at closing time. Since he was still staying with his folks up the hill at “The White House,” the name the islanders had bestowed upon the McCarthy family home, he hoped the ladies had their own rooms at whatever hotel they were calling home for the weekend.

  A nice fling over the long weekend would be just what the doctor ordered after a summer of nonstop work. He’d been feeling cooped up lately, cagey and unsettled. A little mindless sex would straighten him right out—the sooner the better, as far as he was concerned. When was the last time he’d blown off some steam? The fact that he couldn’t remember was worrisome.

  He joined Owen for the chorus to “Take it Easy,” high off the adrenaline of performing before an appreciative audience.

  Owen grinned at him, no doubt enjoying this evening as much as Evan. The gig was actually Owen’s. Evan’s folks had convinced O to stay on until Columbus Day, and he’d cajoled Evan into joining him tonight. It hadn’t required much arm twisting, since Evan hadn’t been doing anything but hanging around the house trying to dodge his mother’s increasingly probing inquiries into his nonexistent love life.

  The one thing Evan McCarthy avoided like the clap was commitment, which was the last thing his mother wanted to hear, especially with his siblings falling like dominoes lately. First Mac, then Janey and Joe, now Grant, who was gaga over Stephanie. Even their friend Luke Harris had gone down hard this summer. Evan had no idea what was in the water lately, but whatever it was, he wasn’t thirsty.

  Thank God at least Owen shared Evan’s commitment to bachelorhood. So did Evan’s brother Adam, who’d gone back to New York once the ferries started running again after the storm. The three of them had to stick together in the midst of all this marriage mayhem.

  Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed a woman sitting at a table by herself. She swiped at tears as she stared off in the distance. Unlike the other women in the crowd, she wasn’t paying them an ounce of attention. Evan told himself that was okay even as his ego registered the hit.

  Owen nudged him, nodded toward the same woman and raised a questioning eyebrow.

  Evan shrugged as they started into “Love the One You’re With.” As he sang along, he kept half an eye on the unhappy woman in the corner. Thanks to the overhead lights on the pier, he could see that she had shiny, dark, shoulder-length hair, the kind of hair that would feel like silk when you ran your fingers through it. What he could see of her face struck him as exceptionally pretty—or it would have been if it hadn’t been red and blotchy from crying.

  When they finished the song, Owen announced they’d be taking a short break. Usually this was the point in the program where they lined up after-hours entertainment. At their table of admirers, the perky blonde he’d been making eyes with gave Evan a come-hither smile, full of invitation. All he had to do was walk over there and close the deal they’d been negotiating for hours now.

  “What’s with the weepy chick in the corner?” Owen asked as they set their guitars into stands.

  “No clue.”

  “Doesn’t look like she’s here with anyone.”

  Evan looked over at her again, noting that she continued to stare off into space as if she had no clue she was in the midst of a bar full of people having fun.

  “We’re not under any obligation here, are we?” Owen asked warily, eyeing the table full of friendly women.

  “You’re not, that’s for sure.”

  “Dude, just because your folks own the place—”

  “WWBMD?”

  Confused, Owen started at him. “Huh?”

  “What would Big Mac do?” Evan asked, knowing the answer to his question before he asked it.

  Owen winced. “Bring a gun to a knife fight, why doncha?” He accepted a couple of beers from a waitress and handed one to Evan.

  “I could ignore it and go about my life, but his voice would be in my head, ruining whatever fun I might be trying to have,” Evan said. “He’d be saying, ‘How could you leave that gal crying all alone, son? Especially when she’s a guest at our place? That’s not the kind of man I raised you to be.’”

  Owen busted up laughing. “Jesus, you sound just like him.”

  “Years of intensive training, my friend.” Evan took another look at the young woman, confirming she was still there and still miserable. With a resigned sigh, he said, “Wish me luck.”

  Owen touched his bottle to Evan’s. “Go get her, tiger. I’ll entertain the other ladies for both of us.”

  “Gee, you’re a pal.” Like a condemned man heading to the gallows, Evan started toward the corner table. As he passed the perky blonde, he sent his regrets with a shrug and a rueful grin. Would’ve been fun. He approached the corner table and plopped down, startling the crying woman. “Now tell me this—what in the world could’ve ruined such a great night for such a pretty lady?”

  Hoping for Love, coming Spring 2012!

  About the Author

  Marie Force is the author of the bestselling McCarthys of Gansett Island Series: MAID FOR LOVE, FOOL FOR LOVE and READY FOR LOVE with more books coming soon in the series. STARTING OVER concludes the trilogy that began with TREADING WATER and continued with MARKING TIME. She is the author of the following contemporary romances: GEORGIA ON MY MIND, EVERYONE LOVES A HERO, LINE OF SCRIMMAGE, LOVE AT FIRST FLIGHT, TRUE NORTH, THE FALL and THE WRECK.

  She is also the bestselling, award-winning author of the Fatal Series from Harlequin’s Carina Press. The series includes FATAL AFFAIR, FATAL JUSTICE, FATAL CONSEQUENCES and FATAL DESTINY. “This novel is ‘The O.C. does D.C.,’ and you just can’t get enough.” (RT Book Reviews, 4.5 stars for FATAL AFFAIR). In its July 2010 issue, RT Book Reviews named Marie a “Future Star of Romantic Suspense.” FATAL FLAW is coming in February 6, 2012.

  She is a member of RWA’s New England and Published Author Special Interest Chapters.

  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 a feisty dog named Brandy.

  Find her at www.mariesullivanforce.com, on her blog at http://mariesullivanforce.blogspot.com, on Facebook at www.facebook.com/MarieForceAuthor, and on Twitter @marieforce. Marie loves to hear from readers. Contact her at [email protected].

  What Others Are Saying About Marie Force's Books

  "Treading Water is a definite must read! Treading Water creates an emotional firestorm within the reader. It shines the light on the good and the bad in life and proves that one moment can change everything and it’s never too late to find love. Marie Force grabbed my heart and squeezed every ounce of emotion out of it but most importantly her monumental story left me blissful. Treading Water may be fiction but it gives me hope; hope in everyday people and happily ever after. I cannot wait for the next book in this trilogy, Marking Time." —Joyfully Reviewed, a “Recommended Read” for November 2011!

  "It's a rare treat that you get three gorgeous romances in one story but Marie Force has achieved that with Georgia On My Mind. Ms. Force has seamlessly woven these stories into one magical novel. Each couple is drastically different with their own issues and smoking hot chemistry. This story has a bit of suspen
se, plenty of humor and lots of romance. Georgia On My Mind is a keeper!" —Joyfully Reviewed.

  “Georgia On My Mind” meets real life issues head-on. It will easily touch your heart with a variety of emotions. If you love a book, in spite of any flaws it may suffer, it’s a keeper. This one meets that test. You’ll laugh and you’ll cry. Most importantly, I’m betting you’ll have a satisfied smile on your face when you reach the end." —Romance at Random gives Georgia on My Mind an "A."

  “With its humor and endearing characters, Force’s charming novel will appeal to a broad spectrum of readers, reaching far beyond sports fans.” —Booklist on Line of Scrimmage.

  “LOVE AT FIRST FLIGHT by Marie Force is most definitely a keeper. It is an astounding book. I loved every single word!” —Wild on Books

  “This novel is The O.C. does D.C., and you just can’t get enough.” —RT Book Reviews, 4.5 Stars for Fatal Affair

  “This book starts out strong and keeps getting better. Marie Force is one of those authors that will be on my must read list in the future.” —The Romance Studio on Fatal Affair

  “As Cole encourages Olivia’s incredible talent for drawing and her love of adventure through a series of carefully planned dates, the two embark on the emotional roller-coaster ride of their lives in Force’s steamy contemporary romance, a heartwarming Cinderella story set mostly in and around Washington, D.C.” —Booklist on Everyone Loves a Hero

  “Marie Force’s second novel in the Fatal series is an outstanding romantic suspense in its own right; that it follows the fantastic first installment only sweetens the read.”

  —RT Book Reviews, 4.5 Stars for Fatal Justice

  Contemporary Romances Available from Marie Force:

  Treading Water

  Marking Time

  Starting Over

  Maid for Love

  Fool for Love

  Ready for Love

  Falling for Love

  Georgia on My Mind

  True North

  The Fall

  Everyone Loves a Hero

  Love at First Flight

  Line of Scrimmage

  Romantic Suspense Novels Available from Marie Force:

  The Wreck

  Fatal Affair

  Fatal Justice

  Fatal Consequences

  Fatal Destiny

  Fatal Flaw

  Table of Contents

  Copyright

  Author's Note

  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

  Hoping for Love Excerpt

  About the Author

  What Others Are Saying About Marie Force's Books