Smoky Mountain Sweethearts
How close is too close to the flame?Sam Blackburn excels at fighting fire with fire in Tennessee, whether it’s putting out deadly forest blazes or rescuing his old friend, widow Avery Montague, who’s lost her nerve on a steep mountain cliff. What happened to the daring, adventure-loving teenager who wasn’t afraid of anything? As kids, Avery was always pushing Sam to be brave, to be better, so he’s ready to return the favor. Except he’s up for his dream job in Colorado as a hotshot smoke jumper, and he can't be in two places at once. His future is fraught with risk, but what’s the point of living if you don’t take chances? He just wants Avery to find the courage to go after what she wants, and he's hoping it's him…
Читать Smoky Mountain Sweethearts онлайн беплатно
How close is too close to the flame?
Sam Blackburn excels at fighting fire with fire in Tennessee, whether itâs putting out deadly forest blazes or rescuing his old friend, widow Avery Montague, whoâs lost her nerve on a steep mountain cliff. What happened to the daring, adventure-loving teenager who wasnât afraid of anything? As kids, Avery was always pushing Sam to be brave, to be better, so heâs ready to return the favor. Except heâs up for his dream job in Colorado as a hotshot smoke jumper, and he canât be in two places at once. His future is fraught with risk, but whatâs the point of living if you donât take chances? He just wants Avery to find the courage to go after what she wants, and heâs hoping itâs him...
âIâm going to find what makes me happy, Sam. And then Iâm going to do it.â Avery tipped her chin up and met his stare. âDare me.â
She might as well have been seventeen again, but the feelings he had were so different. Instead of wanting to beat her in whatever race they cooked up, he wanted to help her, to encourage her. A breeze sent one curl over her forehead to land across her eyes. Before she could brush it away, he smoothed it aside, happy to see the spark of determination in her gaze. âDo it, AA. Youâre the only one who can.â
Sam knew there was never going to be another moment to try itâthe kiss that could settle everything. The woods were quiet. The water was turning golden with the sunrise. The two of them belonged in that spot at that time.
So he slowly pressed his mouth against hers, the sweet taste of her lips completing the most perfect moment...ever.
Sometimes the only way to move forward is to go back.
In Smoky Mountain Sweethearts, the first book of my new miniseries, I have a smart, formerly fearless heroine who desperately needs something to shake her up, and a hero who has never failed to push her higher.
After experiencing a tragic, heartbreaking loss, Avery Montague returns home to her small town, searching for what (or whom) it will take for her to become herself again. Meanwhile, childhood friend Sam Blackburnâs certain a new firefighting job is the challenge heâs been looking forâuntil he rediscovers Avery. Add in family, friends and the hiking that they love, and special things start happening for Avery and Sam. I hope you enjoy spending time racing up the trails of east Tennessee with them!
To find out more about my books and whatâs coming next in the Otter Lake Ranger Station miniseries, visit me at cherylharperbooks.com and find me on Twitter, @cherylharperbks.
Happy reading!
Cheryl
CHERYL HARPER discovered her love for books and words as a little girl, thanks to a mother who made countless library trips and an introduction to Laura Ingalls Wilderâs Little House stories. Whether stories are set in the prairie, the American West, Regency England or Earth a hundred years in the future, Cheryl enjoys strong characters who make her laugh. Now Cheryl spends her days searching for the right words while she stares out the window and her dog, Jack, snoozes beside her. And she considers herself very lucky to do so.
For more information about Cherylâs books, visit her online at cherylharperbooks.com or follow her on Twitter, @cherylharperbks.
To the men and women who protect and preserve Americaâs wild places, open spaces, and the plants and animals that call them home, thank you.
Contents
BEING ROUSTED OUT of bed like she was thirteen again wasnât how Avery Montague thought sheâd start the last Friday before her thirty-fifth birthday, but her mother had never let little things like closed doors stand in her way.
If sheâd wanted to sleep in, Avery never should have gotten hotel rooms with connecting doors.
âGet up. We canât miss that flight.â The long a in âcanâtâ sounded so much like home that Avery had to wait for a second to let the wash of homesickness fade. Every one of her motherâs cainâts used to drive her crazy. On the few occasions sheâd managed to talk her husband, Robert, into a visit at the holidays, theyâd locked eyes to communicate silently whenever her mother said it. Heâd been amused at Averyâs pet peeve.
Homesickness was chased away with the dueling realizations that he was still gone and she was free to do whatever she wanted again. That freedom wasnât a gift most days.
After almost ten years of marriage, including three years of being his nurse, sheâd spent the last two years adjusting to the realization that she could step out the door without fearing that life would never be the same when she came back home.
