âYouâre cute when you smile,â Will told Samantha
Youâre dangerous when you make me laugh, she thought. Samantha drew in a breath. âI hope youâre not hitting on me again.â
âMe? Wouldnât think of it.â Will aimed a thumb at the center of his chest. âI know the rules.â He nudged her lightly. âNot that there are any rules about you hitting on me.â
âWeâre not going to need any.â
His fingers stroked the inside of her wrist. âWant to bet?â
Figuring it would be a sign of weakness to pull away, she stated firmly, âI donât gamble on loveâer, sex. And youâre not going to change my mind,â she insisted.
âI know you think that.â
âBeing in Laramie is not going to change my mind.â
Serious now, he said quietly, âI know you think that, too.â
Samantha swallowed around the parched feeling in her throat. âYet youâre convinced otherwise.â
Will lightly took her chin between his fingers and kissed her mouth, confidence radiating from him. âSome things I just know.â
Dear Reader,
A while back, someone asked me if I had ever seen a bumper sticker that summed up my philosophy on life. I hadnât, but if I were going to design one, I think it would read "Life is messy. Don't be afraid of the mess."
That advice is especially on point for Will McCabe and Samantha Holmes. Will suffered through a divorce that left him feeling he wasnât cut out for marriage after all. Samantha had given up on ever living happily-ever-after when tragedy tore her family apart. Both figured as long as they kept all their defenses up, they wouldnât ever be unhappy again. That was, until they met each other.
Will, Samantha and her brother Howard are three people working at cross-purposes. Three people who ended up lovingâand helpingâeach other despite all the odds. Three people who just might become family in the end, along with Howardâs bride, Molly, and all of Willâs family, and the friends and neighbors from Laramie, Texas, they meet along the way.
I hope you enjoy this latest visit to the fictional town of Laramie, Texas, as much as I did. For information on this and other books, please visit me on the Web at www.cathygillenthacker.com.
Happy reading!
From Texas, With Love
Cathy Gillen Thacker
Cathy Gillen Thacker married her high school sweetheart and hasnât had a dull moment since. Why? you ask. Well, there were three kids, various pets, any number of automobiles, several moves across the country, his and her careers and sundry other experiences (some of which were exciting and some of which werenât). But mostly, there was love and friendship and laughter, and lots of experiences she wouldnât trade for the world.
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Will McCabe had known retrieving Samantha Holmes by âwhatever means necessaryâ was not going to be easy. He had been forewarned about the twenty-nine-year-old womanâs stubbornness and feisty nature. However, he hadnât expected to have to pull her out of a war zone. But as he left the limo idling at the curb in one of New York Cityâs more questionable neighborhoods, and found his way up the steep wooden steps to apartment 5E, a pitched battle was exactly what it sounded like.
âOkay, thatâs it!â a female voice shrieked from the other side of the door. The words were followed by heavy footsteps and a karate-style yell. âYou ugly looking son of a rodent! Iâve had it with you making my life so darn miserable!â she shouted over a loud crash and resounding whack that even had Will jumping. âIf you wonât get out on your own volition, then Iâm just going to have to kill you myself!â
Willâs eyes widened at the blatant threat.
Howard Holmes had said his baby sister had bad taste in men, but letting a domestic dispute deteriorate to this level of violence was downright foolish. Determined to get her out of there before any more harm was done, Will pounded on the door with his fist. âSamantha! Open up!â
âI canât,â she shouted back over the sound of glass shattering.
âSeriouslyâ¦â He tried the door handle and to his frustration found the latch locked. âWe need to talk!â He pounded on the door again.
âI donât think so,â she retorted.
Will winced when he heard another loud crash. A neighbor from down below quickly opened his door, peered out, then slammed it shut.
âSamantha!â Will ordered. âOpen up now!â
The woman inside muttered something he couldnât quite catch. Then she screamed in terror. To heck with waiting, Will thought, as he muttered an oath and kicked the door in. It swung open to reveal a studio apartment that had definitely seen better days.
Samantha Holmes whirled, looking every bit as beautiful in person as in the photos Will had seen. Her delicate face was dominated by long-lashed, dark brown eyes, a straight nose and luscious lips. Thick glossy hair, the color of dark cherrywood, tumbled in loose waves past her shoulders. She came nearly to his chinâwhich made her about five foot eightâand every inch of her was feminine, from her silky skin to her full breasts, trim hips and long, sexy legs. Eyes flashing, she brandished a broom, while the biggest mouse Will had ever seen raced across the floor.