The Great Escape

porch where his son had been napping. The baby quieted as Panda put him to his shoulder, and the old house that had once felt so unwelcome seemed to embrace them both. He gazed out at his yard, where the people who meant everything to him had gathered.

Lucy had managed to distract their daughter, a pint-size lion tamer with Panda’s dark curls and her mother’s adventurous spirit. The afternoon ferry chugged toward the harbor. A pair of gulls swooped over the water in search of a meal. Lucy lifted her head and looked toward the porch. As their gazes met, her mouth curled in a soft smile of contentment that made his heart swell.

Be the best at what you’re good at.

Who could have known he’d be so good at this?

Author’s Note

You readers are a pushy lot! After I wrote Fancy Pants and Lady Be Good, you demanded to see more of the delectable Ted Beaudine, and after I wrote First Lady, you demanded to see more of Lucy Jorik. It seemed so logical to hook them up in Call Me Irresistible… Oh, well… We know how that worked out. I hope you’re as happy as I am that Lucy finally got her own book.

In a career that’s been as blessedly long as mine, so many people have cheered me on and held me up-family; friends; my longtime editor, the wise and wonderful Carrie Feron; the incomparable teams at HarperCollins, William Morrow, and Avon Books who are incredibly generous with me. An overdue thank-you to my ever-patient copy editor, Shelly Perron. Anything that slips past her is, unfortunately, my fault. The same goes for my incredibly able assistant, the remarkable Sharon Mitchell.

What could I have done without my writing buddies: Lindsay Longford, Robyn Carr, Jennifer Greene, Kristin Hannah, Jayne Ann Krentz, Cathie Linz, Suzette Vandeweile, Julie Wachowski, and Margaret Watson? I’ve been very fortunate to have Steve Axelrod and Lori Antonson as my agents for lo these many years. I’m grateful to my publishers all over the world who have treated my books so well. A special thank-you to Nicola Bartels, Inge Kunzelmann, and the phenomenal team at Blanvalet Verlag in Munich. Alles Liebe!

Additional thanks to all those who helped me with The Great Escape. Nicki Anderson, your life-affirming work as a trainer couldn’t be more different from that of a certain character in this book. My sister, Lydia Kihm, is an inspiration as she shares her passion for the work of Teens Alone, a superb Minnesota- based organization that does so much to help at-risk kids. Thank you, Lieutenant Colonel Victor Markell, United States Army, for helping me out. And John Roscich, I continue to be grateful for your willingness to guide my characters through their various legal troubles.

To my readers… I love the many ways the Internet lets me connect with all of you around the world. If you haven’t yet found me on Facebook or Twitter, please say hello. If you’d like to keep abreast of my public appearances and future books, please sign up for my newsletter at www.susanelizabethphillips.com.

Happy reading,

Susan Elizabeth Phillips

About the Author

SUSAN ELIZABETH PHILLIPS soared onto the New York Times bestseller list with Dream a Little Dream. She’s the only four-time recipient of the Romance Writers of America’s prestigious Favorite Book of the Year Award. A resident of the Chicago suburbs, she is also a hiker, gardener, reader, wife, and mother of two grown sons.

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