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Check out the Behind the Scenes story of Project: Parenthood...

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"Project: Parenthood"

"She hid from love, but it found her anyway...

Teagan Delaney has made sure she's too busy for love... too busy to get hurt! But when she has to become stand-in Mum to her sister's tiny kids, and enlists the help of her gorgeous neighbour Brendan McNamara, the rules Teagan has lived by begin to crumble...

Brendan has already proved with ease that he's perfect father material, and as his new found family quickly nestles it's way into his heart he has to show Teagan that they can be the perfect family too..."

For more books like this one go to my Harlequin Romance page

  “You look amazing. Wow. Almost like a princess.”

      Teagan Delaney smiled at her younger sister’s gasp of awe from the bedroom doorway, “Why thank you. It’s amazing what you can do with three hours preparation time. Did you get Dad’s dinner done?”

Eimear nodded, her pony tail bobbing furiously before she sprawled across the cover of Teagan’s bed, “Uh-huh. I’m gonna do some course revision in my room ‘til you come home though. I’m not sitting down there making with the chat while you’re gone.”

     It was a pretty normal thing for a seventeen year old to do. But Teagan knew it was also a way of hiding, “You could watch some TV downstairs with Dad for a little while when you take a break. I’m sure he won’t mind.”

Eyes the same shade of green as her own rolled towards the ceiling, “He’ll make me watch some dumb documentary. I’ll just wait in my room and then you can tell me everything later.” She propped her head on an elbow, “And you better. Even if I’m asleep you have to promise to wake me up.”

     “I can tell you in the morning.”

    “I won’t sleep ‘til I hear tonight!” She pouted.

     Teagan raised a dark eyebrow, “I thought you just said to wake you up?”

     “I won’t sleep proper.”

     “Properly.”

     She scowled, “Well I won’t. You have to come tell me. I never get to go to proper dress up parties.”

     Teagan turned back to the mirror and examined her reflection. It was perfect thanks to Eimear. Without her fashion conscious sister she wouldn’t have looked half so glamorous. Nicer jeans than normal and possibly a tad more make-up would have done the tom-boy Teagan just fine. But Eimear had been a tad more ambitious. And it had certainly paid off.

   Stopping to hand out a hug of appreciation before she left the room she felt her heart beat a little louder in her chest at the thought of what other people might think of the transformation. Hell. Who was she trying to kid? It was only really the one person she would like to impress, wasn’t it?

     She’d been spending more and more time with Brendan McNamara since he’d split up with his girlfriend at the start of the new Uni’ year.

     He was the most amazing person she knew. It would be nice if he could look at her and think she was amazing too. Even if it was just for the one night.

    With a promise thrown to Eimear that she would wake her no matter how late it was she lifted her wrap and made her way towards the stairs. As she balanced carefully on her highest ever heels her mind turned to the only other male in her life. Who would be in the living room with his dinner on a tray and a documentary of some kind on the television.

      She felt hope bubble in her chest. Surely, dressed like she was he would take the time to tell her she looked beautiful? Just a couple of minutes to look her way and notice how much she’d grown up. That she was a woman now and not the tomboy she’d been for most of her life.

    Words of love or even a hug would be too much to hope for. But something, even a small something would do.

     He didn’t even look up from his food when she made her entrance.

     “I’m off now Dad.”

     “Right then. Back by twelve.”

     “Dad, it’s a Ball, I’ll not be back ‘til after one.” She tried to keep a note of pleading from her voice, “But I’ll come straight home. I promise.”

    “Make sure you do.”

     She waited. Willed him to look at her, just for a moment. But he kept on eating, “You got money?”

     “Yes.”

      “Don’t spend it all well.”

      “I won’t.” With a small sigh she scowled down at her feet and then turned to leave the room, “I’ll see you in the morning.”

     “None of that aul bran nonsense at breakfast.”

      “Fine.”

      Swallowing down the lump in her throat she turned and walked away from him. She should have known better than to even hope, shouldn’t she? Years of disappointment should have taught her not to believe in any form of magic from her Father. Or even from the Mother who was gone.

       It was just a shame she wasn’t as thick skinned as the years should have taught her to be.

      Thank heavens she had a friend like Brendan. He gave her hope in the rest of the world.

       Within a few hours he had put the smile back onto her face with his easy banter, teasing tones and quiet confidence.

        He was truly amazing. Around him she actually found herself feeling happy and carefree, even if her reality was always in the background to remind her that life wasn’t carefree and happy.

        He had been her flat mate’s boyfriend when she’d met him. Which technically made him ‘safe’ to get to know. There was no danger in being friends with him because the three young women that shared the flat had an unwritten rule about stealing guys. Not that Teagan would even have thought about it. She had more important goals than some guys arm to dangle from.

        But the rule meant that Teagan never saw him as anything other then Shannon’s guy. And he never treated Teagan as anything more than Shannon’s flat mate, which made things simpler. And wasn’t really surprising when Shannon looked like a model while Teagan herself fell more into the ‘cute’ league. 

      So they’d become friends. Had almost been forced to during the times when Shannon was late back from her part time job or spending longer than usual getting ready to go out for the night.

      But the thing was, with time, Teagan had also discovered that Brendan McNamara was ‘safe’ to be friends with in many other ways.

      He was so determined about what he wanted from life, that one day it would definitely involve a home, with a wife and a family. He was warm and open, enthusiastic and optimistic, successful in everything he ever put his hand to. And to add to all that he was disgustingly good looking.

     Truly amazing. If almost a little too perfect.

      He was not what Teagan would ever allow herself to fall for. Because he was a long term, serious commitment.

      And truth be told, she had no intention of looking for anyone that serious. Not anyone who was seeking a happily ever after anyway. She’d seen up close and personal what a deep and ‘meaningful’ relationship could do to two people. Especially when along the line they got married, had kids, and discovered that they really weren’t that suited after all. Then things fell apart at the seams. And the children were the ones who paid for the mistake.

    Teagan had sworn she would never allow that to happen to her. Long before she’d even known that someone as charmed as Brendan could even exist.

      Being friends was absolutely the safest option. And their friendship mattered to her. She trusted him. Felt that he knew her well enough not to cross any line. And she needed to know the latter most of all, because he was testing her theories for life more than anyone else ever had.

     You see, the thing was, being with Brendan made her forget a lot of the things she had her future focused around. He gave her hope. Made her wish she could believe in things like happily ever after.

      So for one night she was allowing herself to walk in a fairy tale. Dressed as a princess, dancing in the arms of a handsome prince. At Christmas. It really didn’t get any better than that.

     “You havin’ fun?”

      She smiled up at him, “Yes. I don’t think I’ve ever had more fun.”

      He grinned a grin that made his dark blue eyes sparkle, “You really need to get out more you know. Too much studying makes Teagan a dull girl.”

      “Oooh, go on compliment me some more, I can take it.”

      “I already told you twice that you look stunning tonight,” He swung her around in a circle that swooshed her long skirts against her ankles, “I don’t want to swell your head too much.”

       She felt herself glow beneath his underhanded praise. Though the look on his face when he had first set eyes on her had been compliment enough already. The attention he had showered on her ever since had been a little slice of heaven, “You’re such a gentleman.”

     A low grumble of laughter escaped his lips as they swung closer to the edge of the dance-floor, “Hell, I know. I’m a keeper really.”

      Yes, he was. For a brief moment she allowed herself to wonder at the kind of girl who would be lucky enough to keep him. And the slice of jealously that tore through her made her feet falter for a second.

       Oh no. He was a friend. A friend.

       “Watch the toes kiddo.”

       “Mmm, ‘cos they’re hard to miss.” Teagan quirked a brow at him, her eyes shining, “You know what they say about men with large feet…”

        His dark eyes widened slightly and then he leaned his head closer, dropping his voice so only she could hear, “Large shoes?”

         Laughing, they swung closer to the edge and stopped below an archway. Then as their gentle swaying stilled something in Brendan’s eyes changed. He examined her face for a long moment, his gaze seeming to memorize her before he spoke in the same low tone, “You really are stunning tonight Teagan.”

        Looking back years later Teagan would see what happened next as being one of those ‘oh no’ moments. Everyone, at some point in their life experienced at least one, she would find that out herself with time.

        It was a kind of mental ‘danger alert’. The moment when a person knew that they shouldn’t have allowed a particular thing to happen. It was that ‘niggle in the stomach moment’, that ‘voice in the back of the mind yelling uh-oh this could be trouble’ moment. And for Teagan it came seconds too late.

      While he looked at her with so much warmth in his eyes she temporarily forgot the small matter of all the goals she had set for herself in the not too distant future. And the pledge she’d made to avoid guys like him who might touch her heart where it had never been touched before.

      She just allowed herself to get caught up in the magic of the moment.

      And as he smiled down at her with every spark of charm at his disposal, then let an upward glance direct her eyes to the Mistletoe above them, she even forgot to breathe.

    When what she should have done was crack a joke or step away. She most certainly shouldn’t have stood rooted to the one spot and watched while his head descended.

      She knew how big a mistake it was the minute his mouth touched hers.

      ‘Oh no.’

      In that first touch of lips it was like something she hadn’t even known existed inside her woke up. It started with warmth where their mouths met, a sensual awareness of connecting with another person. Then the warmth moved from her mouth to her chest, causing her breath to catch and her heart to beat louder. Then there was the spiralling, tightening sensation low in her abdomen. All in one kiss. All in the space of a few minutes.

    It frightened the life clean out of her. This was exactly what she had sworn she would never allow to happen to her. For a few brief moments she was losing control, was stepping into the abyss. But unlike so many people who had no idea of what there could be at the bottom of that abyss, Teagan knew. She knew.

      Heartbreak, agony, self doubt, sacrifice. Pain.

      She was twenty-one years old with no experience of physical attraction on such a level. But she knew what the emotional cost was. And she wouldn’t do that to either of them.

      “No.” The word came out on a tortured whisper, “You shouldn’t have done that. We can’t-“

      “Yes we can,” He squeezed his arms tighter around her waist, “You had to know this was going to happen.”

      She tugged back against his arms, “I knew no such thing! We’re supposed to be friends.”

       “That’s a good place to start.”

      “No, it’s a good way of gaining ammunition is what it is. You have no idea what you’d be getting into.”

        He obviously had no idea what she meant, the look on his face told her that. And in that second she knew she was right to do what she was doing. He didn’t know her as well as he thought he did. That wasn’t his fault she knew. Because with Brendan she’d had her first chance to live in a land of make believe. Someone who had led as charmed a life as he had could only believe that everyone else’s life had been as easy. So it had been simple to play along.

      But the very fact that it was hurting her so much to reject him only proved that she was right to do it. If she got any more involved than she already was then she might not survive. She might end up exactly like her parents.

       “I can’t believe you did this.” She finally managed to get free from his hold, her eyes flashing up at him as she did her best not to cry, “You’ve ruined everything.”

       “From one wee kiss? How have I ruined everything?” He shook his head and stepped towards her again, his eyes flickering around to see who could hear their argument, “You’re acting like some hysterical female Teagan. Stop it.”

        The condescending tone was like a slap in the face, “How dare you!”

        “Teagan-“ His tone became more warning.

        “Don’t you Teagan me! Try finding someone who wants you to kiss them Brendan. There are loads of women here who might want that from you. But I’m not one of them,” She raised her chin a very visibly stubborn inch and glared at him, “Get over yourself.”

        And without waiting for a response she turned, and like Cinderella running from the Ball she fled across the room, the sound of her name in his deep voice echoing behind her.

       She swore there and then that she would never see him again. Ever. He could think that was immature or stupid if he wanted to. In fact he could think whatever the hell he liked.

       All he had done was show her that the path she’d chosen for herself was the right one. She would never let anyone get to her like he just had. She would only ever have herself to look out for, pure and simple.

      And they’d be selling ice cream in hell before she changed her mind again.

Back to books

From "Project: Parenthood" by Trish Wylie
Mills and Boon Tender/ Harlequin Romance November 2006
ISBN: 0263192431     Copyright: © 2006 Trish Wylie
® and ™ are trademarks of the publisher. The edition published by arrangement with Harlequin Books S.A. For more romance information surf to: http://www.eHarlequin.com

Ahhh ...Project: Parenthood... Brendan McNamara. Brendan, Brendan, wherefore art thou Brendan??? Seriously - Brendan - call me!

A hero and a half led me into this story. And funnily enough, until I started adding this part of the website, I had no real visual image that quite matched up to my Brendan... Aha - just found it!!!

Because from the outside to his very soul there was just always something unbelievably irresistible about Brendan. And knowing that from fairly early on in the planning stages, it begged the question of why - why, oh why, oh why - would Teagan resist him all the way to the bitter end???

The answer came to me out of no-where. It may even have been a line in a song or a movie - I honestly can't remember now... but simply, she was scared. So very scared. Because love that all consuming could be pretty darn scary, couldn't it? If she loved someone that much then they would have the ability to really, really hurt her. And for Teagan, that was just too great a risk to take. Her motto was more along the lines of 'It's better to have never loved than to have loved and got lost in the first place...'

Yes, this heroine was going to take some persuasion to change her mind on that, and on parenting. So Brendan really had to be something special. I only hope that readers end up agreeing with me that he more than filled the bill, even with the slightly dotty Mother that accompanied him - the inspiration for whom will only ever be dragged from my dead, cold fingers... Otherwise the lady concerned might make my fingers dead and cold a little prematurely!

And in case anyone asks - yes - a great many Irish people really do have a tendency to talk about other people's misfortunes while that person is stood there. It's a way of showing support for their troubles...

Locations for this book:

I swear, even talking about the locations in this book has me squirming like an excited five year old!!! Cos I got to put in two of my absolute, all time favourite places!

Anyone who does the tour of Dublin and doesn't go to Dublin Zoo needs slapped for being silly. Even recently when I took the open top bus tour of the City I had to firmly pin my mouth shut to stop myself from berating some tourists who vetoed the idea... I LOVE DUBLIN ZOO! The fact that Brendan chose to make this the destination for a day with Teagan and her nieces and nephew only made me adore him even more than I already did... What a guy!

And then there was Killarney!!!!

Set in the gorgeous Ring Of Kerry, it's another spot of Ireland that I simply can't resist. Where better a place to have Brendan kiss Teagan in a street full of people??? And I had to make them take one of those trips in a horse and cart, didn't I? You really can't go to Killarney and not do that...

All in all, this book was just soooo much fun to do!!!

Brendan - really - call me...please?

Soundtrack playing: 

Project: Parenthood was another Josh Groban inspired story.. And if you liked the ending in the rain then you have one track in particular to thank for it...

All through the book, the album Closer was able to guide me through the different moods and settings... and having listened to Remember When It Rained a few times, the end scenes kinda just happened on their own!

You can buy the album here and you can scroll down and listen to Remember When It Rained here.

*All Photographs are used to give a visible representation of the Authors 'view' and are in no way representative of the people or places in real life beyond the realms of the Authors imagination.

"Trish Wylie's Project: Parenthood (4) is an emotionally complex, character-driven story. Teagan's a wonderful heroine, and we should all have a Brendan in our lives."

Catherine Witmer - Romantic Times

"With its splendid cast of amiable characters, hilarious one-liners, heartwarming romance and powerful emotional intensity, Project: Parenthood is another triumph for the hugely talented Trish Wylie, one of the brightest stars of contemporary romance!"

Julie Bonello -   Cataromance

"PROJECT PARENTHOOD is a sweet tender story that will stay on your mind for a long time. Both Teagan and Brendan are such good-hearted people that you want them to fall in love and live happily ever after. Trish Wylie has created a warm story that you will not want to put down until you done."  Kim Atchue-Cusella - Romance Junkies

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