How Can He Not Remember Her?
Corb Lambert is ready to marry Laurel Sheridan. Sheâs pregnant with his babyâand Corb is the type of guy who will do the right thing. He just wishes that he could remember the passion they shared before a terrible accident wiped his memory clean.
Laurel canât decide whether to go or stay. Corb is willing to take on his responsibility, but Laurel canât bear the thought that he doesnât remember her, especially since she fell for him, hard. Sheâs got a life in New Yorkâbut her baby deserves a father. Could he love her all over again? Or is he just staying in Montana to give her child a name? Laurel has to know now, because one person canât do all the loving....
The door chimed and Laurel glanced up to welcome her next customer
The smile forming on her face froze the minute she saw him.
Corb Lambert.
Sheâd heard heâd been out of hospital for several weeks now. Sheâd wondered if maybe he would phone her when he was finally released, and when he hadnât, sheâd told herself she shouldnât be surprised. Heâd been through a lot physically, and had lost a brother besides. He wouldnât have time or inclination to think about the woman heâd charmed during the week before his accident.
But now he was here, and clearly his smile and the twinkle in his eyes hadnât been damaged one bit. âHello, sugar. Looks like Coffee Creek got a whole lot sweeter since the last time I was in town.â
She smiled, thinking he was feeding her the same line on purpose. But when she glanced up at him, she saw no spark of recognition in his eyes. âCorb?â
He looked puzzled. Then he frowned. âHave we met before?â
Dear Reader,
Welcome to Coffee Creek, Montana, the setting of my new series for Harlequin American Romance. Youâre about to meet the Lambertsâa family of ranchers and cowboys who own the largest spread in Bitterroot County, all controlled by matriarch Olive Lambert. Olive would like to control more than just the operations of the ranchâshe also has ideas about what jobs her children should work and who they should marry. Does mother know best? Iâll let you be the judge.
One of the pleasures of writing a family saga is creating the setting for the stories. In this case I took a real town nameâCoffee Creek, Montanaânudged it a little in the southwesterly direction, made it the head of fictional Bitterroot County and decked it out with interesting establishments like the Cinnamon Stick Café and the Lonesome Spur Saloon. Thereâs a two-story brick courthouse in the center of town, next to the post office and library. If youâd like to see the pictures that inspired the setting and stories, you can visit my storyboards on www.pinterest.com under CJ_Carmichael.
Once youâve soaked in the ambience of the setting, please go ahead and meet our first hero and heroine of the seriesâCorb Lambert and Laurel Sheridan. Their story was so much fun to write. Just imagine you had a whirlwind courtship with a fellow, were sure you had fallen in love, and then he had a head injury and forgot heâd ever met you. What happens next? Just keep reading....
C.J. Carmichael
www.cjcarmichael.com
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Hard to imagine a more glamorous life than being an accountant, isnât it? Still, C.J. Carmichael gave up the thrills of income tax forms and double-entry bookkeeping when she sold her first book in 1998. She has now written more than twenty-eight novels for Harlequin, and invites you to learn more about her books, see photos of her hiking exploits and enter her surprise contests at www.cjcarmichael.com.
This is for the Happy Bookers, with whom Iâve shared many evenings of good conversations about books and life, bottles of wine and wedges of cheese: Cheryl, Marg, Mary, Mary-Lou,
Nancy, Rhonda, Shelli, Sunita and Susan.
Prologue
Where was the groom? Laurel checked her watch, not sure whether to feel annoyed or worried. Her best friend Winnie Hays should have been marching down the aisle of the Coffee Creek United Church ten minutes ago.
As young girls, growing up together in a Montana farming community about an hour from Coffee Creek, she and Winnie had planned their wedding days down to the color of the flowers and the flavor of the cake. Actually, Winnie had planned, and Laurel had gone along with her, claiming to want whatever it was that Winnie wanted.
For the longest time their friendship had worked that way. Winnie decided to take swimming lessons, so Laurel did, too. Winnie started dating a boy, so Laurel dated his best friend. After theyâd finished high school and Winnie applied to college in Great Falls, no one had been surprised when Laurel decided to study at the University of Great Falls, too.
Only after theyâd earned their undergraduate degrees had Laurel finally realized that she yearned for something Winnie didnâtâto leave Montana. So, scared to death but determined, she moved to New York City on her own to pursue her dream of a career in magazine publishing.