If You Were My Man

Nathalyia Fontaine has been the sole proprietor of the restaurant Fontaine since her husband died four years ago. She hasn't dated anyone in all those years, choosing not to open her heart again, or risk revealing her dark past. That is, until she meets Rafael Dunlap.

Rafael is a hostage negotiator with his own set of problems. Though he loves women, he vows he'll never marry because his job is just too unpredictable. He can't imagine leaving a widow and children behind. But his thinking and game plan of loving and leaving changes when he meets Nathalyia. Though she tries to resist him, Rafael sweeps her into a whirlwind romance. When the unexpected happens, and Nathalyia is forced to keep it a secret, she ends things with Rafael before he can break her heart. But when Rafael is in harms way, will Nathalyia resolve to tell him the truth before it's too late? Or will past demons keep them apart forever?

Nathalyia Fontaine has been the sole proprietor of the restaurant Fontaine since her husband died four years ago. She hasn't dated anyone in all those years, choosing not to open her heart again, or risk revealing her dark past. That is, until she meets Rafael Dunlap.

Rafael is a hostage negotiator with his own set of problems. Though he loves women, he vows he'll never marry because his job is just too unpredictable. He can't imagine leaving a widow and children behind. But his thinking and game plan of loving and leaving changes when he meets Nathalyia. Though she tries to resist him, Rafael sweeps her into a whirlwind romance. When the unexpected happens, and Nathalyia is forced to keep it a secret, she ends things with Rafael before he can break her heart. But when Rafael is in harms way, will Nathalyia resolve to tell him the truth before it's too late? Or will past demons keep them apart forever?

Publishers Weekly

The sixth and final installment in Ray’s Invincible Women series (And Mistress Makes Three) explores a lonely widow’s second chance at love with a lifelong bachelor in Myrtle Beach, S.C. When rugged Officer Rafael Dunlap, a hostage negotiator for the city police, meets the gorgeous Nathalyia Fontaine at the seafood restaurant she owns and manages, it seems like love at first sight for the commitmentphobic cop. Fortunately, the gorgeous African-American restaurateur is also struck; unfortunately, she’s got complicating issues of her own, including a troublemaking sister, Theresa, who shows up suddenly and begins stealing from the restaurant after Nathalyia gives her a job. Another charming subplot follows a feisty waitress (Nathalyia’s best friend) getting close to her bartender, an older gentleman; an unexpected pregnancy also adds to the drama. Ray, a prolific storyteller in the mode of Nora Roberts, demonstrates a veteran’s skill for crafting fascinating, soulful characters with believable motives and mishaps. (Mar.)

New York Times bestselling author FRANCIS RAY is a native Texan. She is a graduate of Texas Woman's University and has a degree in nursing. Currently she has over forty books in print. You can visit her at www.francisray.com.