Prologue

“She looks funny,” three-year-old Lynne piped up from the edge of the hospital bed. Angela Basset chuckled as her husband lifted the little girl up onto the bed. “Did Santa bring her, Mommy?”

“No, of course not, dear,” she said, gazing happily at her young daughter. The baby's Christmas arrival had confused her little one just a bit.

“She's pretty, Mommy,” shy Adelle said with a grin.

“When can I hold her?” the oldest daughter, seven-year-old Rae asked.

“Soon, sweetie,” Angela smiled. She was so proud of her girls. They were wonderful children, and they had accepted their new life with ease, and appeared to accept their baby sister.

“She looks like Micky,” Lynne said, looking from the new baby to her step-father. Angela nodded.

“Yes, she does.”

“What's her name, Mother?” Rae asked.

“Her name is Lucille Nicole,” Angela replied, beaming a radiant smile down upon her youngest daughter.

“Lucy?” Adelle asked.

“Yes, you may call her Lucy.”

The littlest, Arwen, started to squirm in Micky's arms. “Mama!” she cried, reaching for Angela.

“I think that's our cue,” Mick whispered, bending over to kiss his wife. “Come on, girls,” he said, and they paraded after him, leaving Angela to marvel over her youngest miracle. The tiny baby girl was dark-skinned, and her hair was as black as ebony, like her father's. She was very small, but she was beautiful, and she would make it. They would all make it, together forever....

Synopsis

Te Amo means "I love you" in Spanish, and this is truly a romance of the greatest kind. Five sisters, all living within walking distance of each other, have been rather unlucky in love.

Rae, the eldest, is far too busy with her job as the only counselor in remote Marysville, Pennsylvania to take time for love... until she meets Nikolai Jonson, a young man with only the hope of finding his mother tying him to this world.

Adelle, after a tragic broken romance, has no hope left. She is determined to remain single, going through life alone and unloved. Michael North is a struggling ceiling fan salesman who happens to come for Keeurendow Counseling and falls head over heals for the tall, beautiful secretary.

Lynne, having suffered from an abusive relationship with her first husband, Greg, is too independent - and afraid - to even think about a new relationship. However, Andrew Thomas refuses to let the beautiful designer out of his life, even after their mutual project is completed.

Arwen is the victim of a tragic accident involving her husband, Phillip, and a T-bone collision with an 18-wheeler. Her husband's VW Bug exploded, and his body was never found. This left Arwen alone to raise her 9 month old daughter and the baby that Phillip never knew she was expecting... she is far too hurt to deal with her life right now. She just wants to get away, and marrying actor Erik Butler is the perfect way to do this... she thinks. Will she eventually fall for her convenient husband?

Lucille is the baby of the family. She is the only child born of her mother's second marriage to an African man, and thus is very different from her sisters. She is well-loved, though, and everyone dotes on her. She always gets her way... except when she announces that she is going to marry her co-worker, who is handsome, rich, twice her age, and just so happens to have a wife and teenaged son. Of course, when Lucille discovers this news, she is devastated and breaks off the relationship. But Daniel Jefferson has held a torch for Lucille since she defended his case in court, and he refuses to see her ruin her life.

Dedication

This novel, one of my most serious efforts, is dedicated to my inspiration: my four cousins. Nicholynn, Megan, Courtney, and Brittney, here's to bringing back memories of random wedding plans, playing school in your basement (dear old Miss Claire Gaines...), and the bears (or lack thereof) in the woods outside your house, Courtney...