Promises Under the Peach Tree
THE TROUBLE WITH HEARTACHENina Spencer swore she was done with Heartache, Tennessee, when she left the town-and her sexy ex, Mack-in her rearview mirror. But when her bakery business is rocked by scandal, she needs a place to regroup. What she doesn't need is Mack Finley reminding her of peach-flavored kisses and the hold he still has on her. Mack never forgot Nina-not that he didn't try. Yet between caring for his family and organizing the annual Harvest Fest, he's overwhelmed and he needs Nina's help. They can work together without getting swept up in memories and the rush of brand-new passion… right?
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The trouble with Heartache
Nina Spencer swore she was done with Heartache, Tennessee, when she left the townâand her sexy ex, Mackâin her rearview mirror. But when her bakery business is rocked by scandal, she needs a place to regroup. What she doesnât need is Mack Finley reminding her of peach-flavored kisses and the hold he still has on her.
Mack never forgot Ninaânot that he didnât try. Yet between caring for his family and organizing the annual Harvest Fest, heâs overwhelmed and he needs Ninaâs help. They can work together without getting swept up in memories and the rush of brand-new passionâ¦right?
âDoes this feel like friendship to you?â
Mack tucked his hands behind her knees and swiveled Nina to face him. He palmed her calves through her jeans, pinning her knees to his.
They stared for a long, breathless moment, suspended beside one another and close enough to share each breath. Old feelings rose up inside her like a living thing, combining with new ones she hadnât expected. The scent of his aftershaveâbay rum and spicesâmade her want to breathe deeper.
Her mouth went dry as chalk, and she couldnât answer. She shook her head. Licked her lips to try to speakâ¦
But Mack was already leaning closer, his head tilting. She closed her eyes at the last second, savoring the press of his mouth to hers. His lips were warm and sure against hers, the pressure light but definite, just enough to let her know his intent before he took more.
Iâve always loved a coming home story, so it made sense that Iâd be called to write one for my very first book for Mills & Boon Superromance. Living far from the place I grew up, I can identify with the mix of nostalgic feelings that returning home evokes, and the way âhomeâ means something unique to everyone. For Nina Spencer, home is a place full of happy memories and some dark times, too. At the center of it all is Mack Finley, her onetime love. Nina thought sheâd put him in her rearview mirror along with the rest of Heartache, Tennessee, but when all roads lead back to the place where she was raised, she has no choice but to face old feelings for himâmixed up with some brand-new ones, too!
Small towns and first loves leave their imprints on our hearts. From the Heartache Harvest Festival to Nina and Mackâs first kiss, every best and worst moment of Ninaâs teenage years remained a part of her long after she left home. And itâs strange how the things we run hardest from can be the same things that lure us back. I hope you enjoy Mack and Ninaâs reunion as well as your time in Heartache. Itâs a place Iâll want to return to, and I hope you do, too. It feels like home to me.
Happy reading,
Joanne Rock
While working on her masterâs degree in English literature, JOANNE ROCK took a break to write a romance novel and quickly realized a good book requires as much time as a masterâs program itself. She became obsessed with writing the best romance possible, and sixty-some novels later, she hopes readers have enjoyed all the âalmost thereâ attempts. Today, Joanne is a frequent workshop speaker and writing instructor at regional and national writer conferences. She credits much of her success to the generosity of her fellow writers, who are always willing to share insights on the process. More important, she credits her readers with their kind notes and warm encouragement over the years for her joy in the writing journey.
For Dean,
the sort of romantic hero Iâd choose all over again.
Contents
THE NIGHT MACK FINLEY lost his virginity with Nina Spencer, the kisses had been peach-flavored and the summer night had been hot enough to sear the scent of the orchard into his brain.
Now, he couldnât set foot in his Tennessee hometown of Heartache without memories of Nina lambasting him from all sides. It didnât matter if it was late summer when the trees lined the road, heavy with ripe fruit. Or if someone simply mentioned her name. Today, when both things happened at once, Mackâs thoughts took an extended vacation to that teenage summer eight years ago.
âMack?â His brotherâs voice came through Mackâs Bluetooth as he wound through the Tennessee hills to the west of Interstate 65 in his old Eldorado convertible. âAre you still there? Can you hear me?â
Mack raked a hand through his hair as he cruised past the gazebo in the town park that had sheltered every family reunion and major wedding anniversary for as long as he could remember. He went past the ancient hardware store that was still independently run despite numerous attempts by chain stores to move into town.
