For better or worse, sheâs family now
Duffy Dufraine just found out heâs going to be an uncle. Jessica Aguirre came to Harmony Valley in search of the father of her unborn child, which is by no means him. An accident may have damaged the expectant momâs memory, but he knows his twin is the man sheâs looking for. But Gregâs gone, which leaves Duffy the only family Jess has. And he has to make things right. Offering her a temporary place to stay seems an ideal short-term solution. Until she stirs desires that make the embattled vineyard manager rethink his own long-term game plan. Is he ready to offer Jess and her baby a home to call their ownâwith him?
Jess rested her palm on her stomach.
âDid you hear that, Baby?â she asked. âGrandparents are in your future.â
For the first time, Duffy understood Jess. She had no parents. She didnât want to let her child down as her mother had. What to him was a casual mention of his motherâs involvement was the promise of a special gift to her: family.
âIâm taking this pillow from the bed for me,â Duffy said carefully. âDonât get any ideas.â
She blinked at him. But it wasnât the Iâm remembering something dazed look heâd seen her get every once in a while. Jess looked at him as if seeing him for the first time. As Duffy, not Gregâs mirror image.
That look touched something deep inside him, something that warmed and eased, something heâd kept locked away and refused to name.
Dear Reader,
Welcome to Harmony Valley!
Things arenât as harmonious here as they once were. Jobs have dried up and almost everyone under the age of sixty has moved away in the past ten years, leaving the population...well...rather gray-haired and peaceful.
But things are changing since three hometown boys made good. Theyâve returned home, started a winery, and now the economy is inching its way forward.
Jessica Aguirre has come to town, but not for a job. Sheâs looking for someone from her past, someone who might help her remember. When she sees a photo of Michael âDuffyâ Dufraine in a local newspaper, sheâs convinced he has the answers sheâs seeking. Duffy is afraid he knows the answers, but Jessica wonât want to hear the truth.
I hope you enjoy Jessica and Duffyâs journey, as well as the other romances in the Harmony Valley series. I love to hear from readers. Check my website to learn about upcoming books, sign up for email book announcements (and Iâll send you a free sweet romantic comedy read), or chat with me on Facebook (MelindaCurtisAuthor) or Twitter (MelCurtisAuthor) to hear about my latest giveaways.
Melinda
MelindaCurtis.com
Award-winning, USA TODAY bestselling author MELINDA CURTIS lives in Californiaâs arid Central Valley with her husband, an ancient Labrador, a âShorkieâ princess and a cat who would be queen of them all. Their three kids are all in college (not in California) so youâre more likely to see posts regarding Melindaâs pets than her kids on social media (for which her progeny are thankful).
Melinda enjoys putting humor into her stories, because thatâs how she approaches life. She writes sweet contemporary romances as Melinda Curtis (Brenda Novak says of Season of Change, âfound a place on my keeper shelfâ), and fun, steamy reads as Mel Curtis (Jayne Ann Krentz says of Cora Rules, âwonderfully entertainingâ).
The premise of this story was born at a bar with senior editor Victoria Curran and polished from the brilliance of Kathryn Lye (thanks, ladies!). Margie Lawson challenged me to bring more quirk to Harmony Valley (thank you, Margie!). And Mr. Curtis literally kept me fed as I put the finishing touches on it (thanks for letting me have the âFollow your instinctsâ fortune cookie fortune, babe, even though that isnât really a fortune).
CHAPTER ONE
DID HE LOVE ME?
Jessica Aguirre didnât know if he loved her. She didnât know if he knew her.
She stood on a gravel drive in the midst of a vineyard in Harmony Valley. Heart pounding. Head pounding.
Did he love me?
The man in the photograph would tell her.
Jess clutched a newspaper photo, and stared at the group of men and women in front of a two-story farmhouse with a vintage weather vane. There was a man in the back row on the left. He was the one.
She recognized him right away. Recognized dark hair with a curl at his temple. Recognized a straight, no-nonsense nose. Recognized caramel-colored eyes. Those eyes. If only she could remember...
What if it wasnât him? What if this was a dead end? What if...?