The Husband She Can't Forget
She thought she’d never see him again…In the past twelve years, Carly Joslin has made a new life for herself. She moved back home to Reston, Oklahoma, and started a successful organic farming business. So she's not about to let her ex-husband, Luke Sanderson, take all that away.Luke’s oil extraction operation—right next door to Carly—is a real threat to her livelihood…and her peace of mind. Carly had buried the bittersweet memories of their young love, whirlwind marriage and terrible loss. But not deep enough. And now Luke is back in town, unearthing the past and shaking the very foundations of the life she’s built.
Читать The Husband She Can't Forget онлайн беплатно
She thought sheâd never see him again...
In the past twelve years, Carly Joslin has made a new life for herself. She moved back home to Reston, Oklahoma, and started a successful organic-farming business. So sheâs not about to let her ex-husband, Luke Sanderson, take all that away.
Lukeâs oil-extraction operationâright next door to Carlyâis a real threat to her livelihood...and her peace of mind. Carly had buried the bittersweet memories of their young love, whirlwind marriage and terrible loss. But not deep enough. And now Luke is back in town, unearthing the past and shaking the very foundations of the life sheâs built.
âHow many other pieces of land has he ruined?â
âNone!â Luke said.
âAs far as you know,â Carly replied.
He shook his head in frustration. âI canât answer that, or give you any facts that I donât have.â
âLuke, from what youâve said so far, you wouldnât tell me even if you did know.â
Before he could answer, she threw her hands in the air. âNever mind. This is a pointless...merry-go-round. Nightmare-go-round,â she amended. âItâs time for you to go, Luke, and...and donât come back.â
âCarly, if youâd listen to me, I can at least tell youââ
âLies?â She held up her hand. âNo. Go.â
As if to emphasize her fury, the windows rattled in their frames.
âEarthquake,â she said accusingly.
âWell, I didnât cause it.â
âYet.â
Luke swung toward the door. âIâll be back in three months, Carly, and then youâll have to listen to me.â
âDonât count on it.â
Welcome back to Reston, Oklahoma. I hope you enjoyed your visit to the southeastern part of the state in At Odds with the Midwife. The Husband She Canât Forget is the story of Carly Joslin and Luke Sanderson, who married much too young and parted painfully years ago. Now Luke is back and will be starting an oil-extraction process near Joslin Gardens, where Carly grows organic fruits and vegetables. His process could threaten her livelihood and her land itself. Worst of all, his presence is bringing back memories and regrets sheâs tried to forget. Having him around will make her face the past even as Luke attempts to succeed in his new venture and avoid hurting Carly again.
Happy reading,
Patricia
PATRICIA FORSYTHE is the author of many romance novels and is proud to have received her twenty-five-book pin from Harlequin. She hopes there are many more books to come. A native Arizonan, Patricia loves setting books in areas where she has spent time, like the beautiful Kiamichi Mountains of Oklahoma. She has held a number of jobs, including teaching school, working as a librarian and as a secretary, and operating a care home for developmentally disabled children. Her favorite occupation, though, is writing novels in which the characters get into challenging situations and then work their way out. Each situation and set of characters is different, so sometimes the finished book is as much of a surprise to her as it is to the readers.
This book is dedicated to my beautiful grandchildren, who give me hope and happiness.
Contents
THE CRUNCH OF tires as a pickup turned onto the long, graveled drive of Joslin Gardens caused a bobwhite quail to cease the endless reciting of his name and brought Carly Joslinâs attention from the damp, woven cloth she was spreading over the truck bed of fresh-picked vegetables. She frowned. She didnât recognize the silver dual-cab pickup and she was running short on time. She had to deliver this load of produce to a restaurant on the other side of the county and then change clothes for the Memorial Day barbecue, where she hoped to arrive on time.
It couldnât be a customer. The fresh produce stand that a couple of high school kids operated for her was shuttered for the day and her employees had gone home. However, people did tend to stop by to ask her advice on gardening, or to purchase one of the pieces of furniture she refurbished. Raising a hand to shade her eyes, she tried to peer through the truckâs tinted windshield to identify her visitor. She usually enjoyed visits from her customers, but there really wasnât time for an extended chat with anyone today, and besides...
Shock jolted through her, nearly buckling her knees, when she recognized the driver.
âIt canât be,â she whispered as she felt color drain from her face. âWhatâs he doing here?â
Shakily, she gripped the side of the truck while she reminded herself to breathe and forced her frozen expression into what she hoped was an approximation of a welcoming smile.
The fancy pickup took the rutted and pocked drive slowly, probably to minimize gravel popping up and marring the perfect paint job. The recent rains had laid waste to the drive and Carly intended to have it graded and graveled as soon as the weather improved for an extended period. Now, however, she was glad she had waited. The longer it took for the vehicle to reach her, the more time she had to prepare herself to meet the driver.
