The rules of the will were ironclad:

Mitch had to gain custody of his father's bastard son or lose the family fortune.

It should have been simple. A sizable check and Carly Corbin would be on her way. But nothing about Carly was simple, including Mitch's attraction to her. When she refused to relinquish her baby nephew, Mitch had no choice but to let them both move in.

Neither of them guessed that playing house would become all too real.

Emilie lives in North Carolina with her college sweetheart husband and four sons. Her love for romance novels developed when she was 12 years old and her mother hid them under sofa cushions each time Emilie entered the room.

Emilie grew up riding and showing horses and chasing after her older brothers. More often than not, she had to bribe her way into being included.

She's a devoted baseball mom during the season and can usually be found in the bleachers watching one of her sons play, or at a Durham Bulls game. If there's a rodeo in town or on T.V., you'll find her watching.

Emilie's hobbies include quilting, cooking (especially baking cheesecake), and anything cowboy. Emilie's a country music fan because there's an entire book in nearly every song. Her favorite T.V. shows include ER, CSI, Boston Public, and the Discovery Channel's medical and nature programs.

A sucker for any stray, Emilie has been known to bring home orphaned squirrels, bunnies, and kittens, much to her sons' delight. She is also a lover of anything cute and fuzzy, which explains the incredible variety of pets her children have had. Thanks to her older brothers, she's also not quite intolerant of the not so cute and fuzzy reptile pets.

Letters can be mailed to Emilie at P.O. Box 20145, Raleigh, NC, 27619, or via email to EmilieRoseC@aol.com.