She had to get out of there before she said something she regretted.
Or before he did, because the intensity of his gaze was almost⦠unnerving. Just the sight of Javier lying in bed, watching her like that, as if he was going to slide over to make room for her to join himâ¦
Oh, for the love of Pete. The man was recuperating from near-fatal injuries. He certainly wasnât having those kinds of thoughts.
So why in creation was she?
Dear Reader,
I hope you like this new FORTUNES OF TEXAS series as much as I do. It was fun to return to Red Rock and revisit old âfriendsâ as well as meet some new ones.
In A Real Live Cowboy, JR Fortune fell in love with Isabella Mendoza. Iâd mentioned that she had a brother, Javier. So you can imagine how exciting it was to be able to tell Javierâs story and help him find his own happy ever after.
Of course, the poor man nearly died when the tornado struck Red Rock two months ago. The near-death experience and the long road back to recovery have taken an emotional toll on him, and the only bright spot in his day is when Leah Roberts, a lovely auburn-haired Florence Nightingale, enters his room.
As Leahâs handsome patient heals, he begins to revert back to the man he once wasâthe kind of man who could prove to be the worst thing to ever happen to her⦠or the best.
So sit back and enjoy the romance thatâs about to unfold.
Happy reading!
Judy
JUDY DUARTE always knew there was a book inside her, but since English was her least-favorite subject in school, she never considered herself a writer. An avid reader who enjoys a happy ending, Judy couldnât shake the dream of creating a book of her own.
Her dream became a reality when Mills & Boon released her first book, Cowboy Courage. Since then she has published more than twenty novels.
Her stories have touched the hearts of readers around the world. And in July 2005 Judy won a prestigious Readersâ Choice Award for The Rich Manâs Son.
Judy makes her home near the beach in Southern California. When sheâs not cooped up in her writing cave, sheâs spending time with her somewhat enormous but delightfully close family.
Javier Mendoza might have been a little irritable and short-tempered with his family just moments ago, but all he really wanted was for them to go home and leave him alone.
When they finally got the hint and left his hospital room, he was relieved. That is, until they gathered out in the hall and began to whisper.
âMaybe itâs time for us to call in a psychologist,â his father said.
Luis Mendoza might have lowered his voice, thinking he couldnât be overheard, but Javier wasnât deaf.
He glanced at Leah Roberts, who stood at the foot of his bed. From the expression on his personal Florence Nightingaleâs pretty face, he realized the comments theyâd both overheard had struck a sympathetic chord in her.
âThey mean well,â Leah said, her own voice lowering to a whisper so the family members whoâd gathered in the hall couldnât hear her words.
She was right. His father and siblings had held prayer vigils while heâd been in the ICU and had continued to visit regularly, even after his condition had been upgraded and heâd been moved to a regular room. He was grateful for their love and concern, of course, but there wasnât anything wrong with his mental state. Dragging this whole thing out any longer than necessary wasnât going to get him back on his feet any sooner.
Two months ago, a tornado had struck Red Rock, and in the blink of an eye Javierâs life had been permanently altered.
Of course, all he knew about that fateful dayâand for the next three to four weeks afterâwas what others had told him and what heâd read in the old newspapers Leah had brought for him to read.
In fact, there was very little he recalled after the December day his brother Marcos had married Wendy Fortune. The two families had celebrated the Christmas holiday together, then the Atlanta-based Fortunes had planned to fly home to attend a New Yearâs Eve party.
It had taken several vehicles to deliver them all to the airport, and Javier had been one of the drivers. The wind had kicked up and the clouds had grown dark, threatening to ground all the flights. So the travelers had hoped to get out of Red Rock before they were forced to wait out the storm.
Then the unthinkable happened. A tornado struck, killing several people and injuring others.
Javier, whoâd almost gotten a one-way ticket to the Pearly Gates, had been one of the âlucky ones,â which was what more than one medical professional had told him. In fact, his injuries had been so serious that it had been weeks before anyone knew if heâd pull through or not.
He supposed he had his familyâs prayers and the skill of one of the top neurosurgeons in the country to thank for that.