Yours to Keep (Kowalski Family, #3) by Shannon Stacey
Dear Reader,
I feel as though it was just last week I was attending 2010 conferences and telling authors and readers who were wondering what was next for Carina Press, “we’ve only been publishing books for four months, give us time” and now, here it is, a year later. Carina Press has been bringing you quality romance, mystery, science fiction, fantasy and more for over twelve months. This just boggles my mind.
But though we’re celebrating our one-year anniversary (with champagne and chocolate, of course) we’re not slowing down. Every week brings something new for us, and we continue to look for ways to grow, expand and improve. This summer, we’ll continue to bring you new genres, new authors and new niches—and we plan to publish the unexpected for years to come.
So whether you’re reading this in the middle of a summer heat wave, looking to escape from the hot summer nights and sultry afternoons, or whether you’re reading this in the dead of winter, searching for a respite from the cold, months after I’ve written it, you can be assured that our promise to take you on new adventures, bring you great stories and discover new talent remains the same.
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Happy reading!
~Angela James Executive Editor, Carina Press www.carinapress.com www.twitter.com/carinapress www.facebook.com/carinapress
Dedication
Thank you so much to my readers. So many of you have told me you love the Kowalski family and want more, so I hope you enjoy meeting Sean Kowalski, as well as revisiting the rest of the family.
As always, thank you to Angela James and the Carina Press team for your dedication and enthusiasm. And to my husband, whom I love madly even though he never lets me drive.
Chapter One
“Still as ugly as ever, I see.”
Sean Kowalski flipped the bartender the bird and dropped his duffel on the floor next to an empty stool. “Runs in the family, cousin.”
Since they both stood a hair over six feet, they were able to exchange a quick hug over the bar, and Kevin thumped him on the back. “Damn glad you made it home.”
“Me, too.” Sean sat on the barstool and took a long swig of the foamy beer Kevin put in front of him. “Sorry I missed your wedding. And Joe’s, too.”
“You were getting your ass shot at in Afghanistan. We won’t hold it against you. Much.”
“Still can’t believe you both found women willing to be your Mrs. Kowalskis. What’s wrong with them?”
Kevin flashed him a grin. “It’s the dimples, man. Women can’t resist them. Too bad for you we got ’em from Ma and all you got are the blue eyes from the old man’s side.”
“They do me well enough. How are your parents doing?”
“Good. They’re looking forward to seeing you, and Ma made lasagna for tonight.”
Sean grinned and patted his stomach. “I didn’t stop for lunch so I’ve got plenty of room. There are a lot of things I miss about my mother, God rest her soul, but her cooking isn’t one of them. Aunt Mary, though? Damn, that woman can put a meal together.”
Kevin nodded, then stepped away for a minute to grab a water. “So, you’ve got no job. Gonna mooch food from Ma and bum an apartment from me. The army was supposed to make you a man, not a useless son of a bitch.”
“Twelve years was enough. Don’t know what I want to do now, but I know it’s not more of that.”
“No interest in going back to Maine and helping your brother run the lodge?”
Sean shrugged. It had come up—especially when he’d told his brothers and sister he was going to hang out with the New Hampshire branch of the family for a while. But spending the rest of his life at the Northern Star Lodge wasn’t something he wanted to do. As a child, he’d hated strangers making themselves at home in his house and he’d never outgrown it. He just wasn’t cut out to be an innkeeper.
“It’s a plan B,” he said.
Kevin took a swig off the water bottle, then screwed the cap back on. “You know I’m just giving you shit. You can crash here as long as you want.”
“Appreciate it. Once I’ve had my fill of Aunt Mary’s cooking, I might go home or…hell if I know.” It was one of the reasons he’d decided to leave the army. There was nowhere he had to be tomorrow. Or the day after that.
A tall, busty redhead stepped out from a back room and Kevin waved her over. “This is my cousin, Sean. Sean, this is Paulie Reed, my head bartender, assistant manager and all around right-hand man. Woman. Person. Right-hand person.”
“Nice to meet you,” Sean said, shaking her hand. She had one hell of a grip.