Lukeâs voice was suddenly deeper, and tension vibrated between them.
His words reminded Rebecca of the last time theyâd waltzed together and how it felt to be held in his arms.
The need to leave her chair, to take the short two steps separating them, run her hands over the bare muscles of his chest and arms and lift her mouth to his was nearly overwhelming. The force of emotions he raised in her was disconcerting. She decided to obey the alarm bells that were screaming caution in her brain.
âI willâif youâre there.â Which was as noncommittal as she could be without refusing him outright. She stood. âAnd since it sounds as if itâs going to be a long day tomorrow, I think Iâll try to get some sleep.â She turned toward the screen door, hesitating to say good-night, before she pulled open the door.
âGood night.â His voice was hushed, quieter than usual, but it still sent shivers up her spine.
Dear Reader,
Well, itâs that time of year againâand if those beautiful buds of April are any indication, youâre in the mood for love! And what better way to sustain that mood than with our latest six Special Edition novels? We open the month with the latest installment of Sherryl Woodsâs MILLION DOLLAR DESTINIES series, Priceless. When a pediatric oncologist who deals with life and death on a daily basis meets a sick childâs football hero, she thinks said hero can make the little boyâs dreams come true. But little does she know that he can make hers a reality, as well! Donât miss this compelling storyâ¦.
MERLYN COUNTY MIDWIVES continues with Maureen Childâs Foreverâ¦Again, in which a man who doesnât believe in second chances has a change of mindânot to mention heartâwhen he meets the beautiful new public relations guru at the midwifery clinic. In Cattlemanâs Heart by Lois Faye Dyer, a businesswoman assigned to help a struggling rancher finds that business is the last thing on her mind when she sees the shirtless cowboy meandering toward her! And Susan Malleryâs popular DESERT ROGUES are back! In The Sheik & the Princess in Waiting, a woman learns that the man she loved in college has two secrets: 1) heâs a prince; and 2) theyâre married! Next, can a pregnant earthy vegetarian chef find happiness with townâs resident playboy, an admitted carnivoreâ¦and father of her child? Find out in The Best of Both Worlds by Elissa Ambrose. And in Vivienne Wallingtonâs In Her Husbandâs Image, a widow confronted with her late husbandâs twin brother is forced to decide, as she looks in the eyes of her little boy, if some secrets are worth keeping.
So enjoy the beginnings of spring, and all six of these wonderful books! And donât forget to come back next month for six new compelling reads from Silhouette Special Edition.
Happy reading!
Gail Chasan
Senior Editor
To Constance Martynow, a wonderful sister-in-law and devoted fan, who welcomed me into the family and has offered constant support over the years.
You are deeply loved, gratefully appreciated. Thank you.
lives on Washington Stateâs beautiful Puget Sound with her husband, their yellow Lab, Maggie Mae, and two eccentric cats. She loves to hear from readers and you can write to her c/o Paperbacks Plus, 1618 Bay Street, Port Orchard, WA 98366.
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
âI âm definitely not in California anymore.â
Rebecca Parrish Wallingford turned in a slow circle, her gaze sweeping the ranch yard. She braced herself against the open door of the rental car and took in the buildings set in a neat half circle around the dusty square. Weather and time had long since stripped the paint from the two-storied ranch house until it was a uniform dark gray. A tall, gnarled maple shaded the left side of the house, its leafy branches brushing against gray wood, the second storyâs sashed windows and the roof of the deep porch that edged the front of the house. A matching maple sheltered the other side of the house, set back and slightly nearer the far end of the structure.
The building was silent, slumbering beneath the hot June sun. If people were within, Rebecca could neither see nor hear them.
She glanced past the house to the sprawling outbuildings on her left. New lumber and shingles created a patchwork of pale color against the weathered walls and roof of the large barn while the attached corral was constructed entirely of raw, unpainted wood. Three dusty pickup trucks stood outside a long shed just beyond the corral. The sound of hammers thudding against nails and the high-pitched scream of a saw slicing through wood broke the afternoon quiet.
A man stepped from the dim interior of the shed into the hot sunlight and strode toward the trucks.
He glanced toward the house, saw Rebecca and abruptly changed direction to angle away from the back of a truck loaded with lumber, and move toward her.