Praise for New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author
ROBYN CARR
âThis book is an utter delight.â
âRT Book Reviews on Moonlight Road
âStrong conflict, humor and well-written characters are Carrâs calling cards, and theyâre all present here ⦠You wonât want to put this one down.â
âRT Book Reviews on Angelâs Peak
âThis story has everything: a courageous, outspoken heroine; a to-die-for hero; and a plot that will touch readersâ hearts on several different levels. Truly excellent.â
âRT Book Reviews on Forbidden Falls
âAn intensely satisfying read.
By turns humorous and gut-wrenchingly emotional, it wonât soon be forgotten.â
âRT Book Reviews on Paradise Valley
âCarr has hit her stride with this captivating series.â
âLibrary Journal on the Virgin River series
âThe Virgin River books are so compellingâ
I connected instantly with the characters and just wanted more and more and more.â
â#1 New York Times bestselling author Debbie Macomber
Also available from
ROBYN CARR and MIRA Books
The Virgin River Series
MOONLIGHT ROAD
ANGELâS PEAK FORBIDDEN FALLS PARADISE VALLEY TEMPTATION RIDGE SECOND CHANCE PASS A VIRGIN RIVER CHRISTMAS WHISPERING ROCK SHELTER MOUNTAIN VIRGIN RIVER
The Grace Valley Series
DEEP IN THE VALLEY
JUST OVER THE MOUNTAIN DOWN BY THE RIVER
Novels
A SUMMER IN SONOMA
NEVER TOO LATE RUNAWAY MISTRESS BLUE SKIES THE WEDDING PARTY THE HOUSE ON OLIVE STREET
Donât miss Robynâs next book,
WILD MAN CREEK,
Available February 2011
For Susan Elizabeth Phillips
with my deepest affection and gratitude.
Iâm deeply grateful for the dedicated assistance given to me by Scott Lampert, all-around horse expert, farrier and creator of www.ONTRACKEQUINE.com, a sophisticated program used by horse professionals, owners and breeders to assure peak equine performance. This story could not have been told without your help.
Special thanks to Sean Vasquez, Native American musician and actor. Through your eyes I could better envision the Native American characters in this story.
For this story as for almost every story I write, special thanks to Michelle Mazzanti for early reading and research assistance. I just couldnât get to the end of a book without your input and help.
I am indebted to Kate Bandy and Sharon Lampert. Without your continual loyalty and support I would be lost.
My heartfelt gratitude to Ing Cruz for creating and managing Jackâs Bar online, where hundreds of Virgin River readers exchange book news. (http://groups.yahoo.com/ group/RobynCarr_Chatgroup/)
Thanks to Rebecca Keene for early readings of this and many manuscripts; her feedback is incredibly valuable.
Thanks to everyone at the Nancy Berland Public Relations Agency for the support and for always watching my back. Jeanne Devon of NBPR, thanks for the hours of reading and critiquingâyour feedback is a tremendous help.
And as always, thank you to Liza Dawson of Liza Dawson Associates and to Valerie Gray, editorial director of MIRA Books, two of the toughest readers in publishing. Thank you both for being relentless, tireless, devoted perfectionists. Every push makes each book a little better and I owe you. This is always a team effort and I couldnât have a better team!
Clay Tahoma headed into the mountains of Humboldt County, Northern California, along Highway 36, a narrow road that had lots of sharp turns along the way. According to his GPS the next left would lead him to a town called Virgin River. It appeared to be the nearest town to his destination, the Jensen Veterinary Clinic and Stables, and he wanted to check it out. He was nearing the turnoff when he noticed something up aheadâsome pickups parked at the side of the road.
He slowed down and pulled over, curious to see what was going on. He got out of his truck and walked past a number of vehicles toward a large flatbed truck. There were men standing around watching as a forklift with a large cable attached pulled away from the edge of the road. Clay approached one of the men. He was as tall as Clay and wore a plaid shirt, jeans, boots and ball cap. âWhatcha got, friend?â Clay asked.
âOne of our town slipped off the road and got stuckâluckily came up against a big tree not too far down the hill. Thatâs how he managed to get out and climb back up.â
âWhoâs pulling him out?â Clay asked.
âAw, one of our boys has a lot of construction equipment. Heâs a contractor up this way.â The man put out his big hand. âJack Sheridan. You from around here?â
âNameâs Clay Tahoma, originally from Flagstaff and the Navajo Nation. Lately from L.A. Iâm up here to work with an old friend, Nathaniel Jensen.â
Jackâs face took light at that. âNateâs a friend of mine, too! Pleasure to meet you.â
Jack introduced Clay to some other men who were standing aroundâa guy named John, who they called Preacher; Paul, who owned the flatbed and forklift; Dan Brady, who was Paulâs foreman; and Noah, the minister whose truck slipped off the road. Noah smiled sheepishly as he shook Clayâs hand. No one seemed to react to the sight of a Native American with a ponytail that reached past his waist and an eagle feather in his hat. And right at that moment Noahâs old blue Ford truck began to clear the edge of the road.