âI only came here to find my niece ⦠and maybe be a part of her life,â Jonathan said.
âAnd,â he continued, âI wouldnât mind if she came back to Denver with me.â
He could almost see Arabellaâs stomach clench and knot.
âCan we go somewhere and talk?â he asked.
Jonathan waited a couple of heartbeats, wondering if Arabella Michaels would show him some sympathy and listen to him. Arabella Clayton Michaels, he reminded himself. From what heâd heard, the Clayton name sure carried a lot of weight around here. And there always seemed to be several Claytons around at any given time.
She bit at her wide, pouty lip. Jonathan watched her, fascinated with the stubborn slant of her chin and the glint of dare in her catlike gold-brown eyes. When she focused those big eyes on him, he couldnât take his next breath.
This woman stood between him and his niece.
* * *
Rocky Mountain Heirs: When the greatest fortune of all is love.The Nannyâs HomecomingâLinda Goodnight July 2011 The Sheriffâs Runaway BrideâArlene James August 2011 The Doctorâs FamilyâLenora Worth September 2011 The Cowboyâs LadyâCarolyne Aarsen October 2011 The Lonerâs Thanksgiving WishâRoxanne Rustand November 2011 The Prodigalâs Christmas ReunionâKathryn Springer December 2011
Dear Reader,
It was a joy to be a part of this big, sprawling story of the Clayton family. Iâve been to Colorado a few times and I love the state, but trying to keep up with the Claytons was a new experience! Thanks to all the other writers on this project for keeping me on track!
My heroine, Arabella Michaels, is independent and determined. She wants to protect her three little girls, but in doing so, she guards her heart a bit too closely.
Dr. Jonathan Turner secretly wants a family of his own, but he also guards his true feelings by pouring himself into work. When he comes to Clayton looking for his niece, not only does he find family but he also finds a ready-made family in Arabella and her adorable four-year-old triplets. The city doctor falls for the small-town girl ⦠and her children.
I believe there are families all over the world who have merged to become a true family. I know this isnât always easy. But to those who work hard on being a family, I salute you. God had only one son and that son came to teach us how to love and how to find redemption. We are never alone when we have Christ by our side. I hope you enjoyed this colorful story. Keep in touch with me at www.lenoraworth.com.
Until next time, may the angels watch over you, always.
And I will be a father to you, and you shall be sons
and daughters to Me, says the Lord Almighty. â2 Corinthians 6:18
To all of my wonderful editors:
Patience Bloom, Emily Rodmell, Tina James and Melissa Endlich.
Thanks to each of you for allowing me to use my imagination and create my stories.
This was probably a bad idea.
Arabella Clayton Michaels headed toward the back door of the big industrial kitchen inside the Clayton Christian Church fellowship hall. The Wednesday-night meeting of the Church Care Committee was about to get started, but she was determined to check the parking lot for a silver sports car. She had a sneaking suspicion that sheâd find that stranger hovering outside, the same stranger who seemed to be following her around town.
âHey, Arabella, Zachâs looking for you.â
Arabella turned to where Gabe Wesson stood with some other men whoâd helped set up the tables and chairs and were now waiting for the meal to commence. âThanks. Iâll be right back. I have to take care of something.â
She didnât wait for a response, nor did she look for her cousin Zach. Sheâd talk to him later, after she found Mr. City Slicker and set him straight.
Her crinkled denim skirt flew out over her worn red cowboy boots as she took the back steps, her arms wrapped against the soft chenille of the blue sweater she wore over a white button-up shirt. The fall temperature cooled with each dip of the golden sunset over the Rocky Mountains to the west.
But the chill covering Arabella didnât come from the crisp fall air. It came from a fear deep inside her heart. A fear that refused to let go. Arabella had an awful feeling her routine life was about to change. She couldnât explain this feeling but it was there, holding her down with all the heaviness of an anvil.
Sheâd felt this way since the day her grandfather, George Clayton, Sr., had passed away. Arabella was the only grandchild whoâd stayed here in the tiny Colorado town of Clayton, founded and named after her ancestors. The feeling of a change coming in the wind had increased after the reading of her grandpaâs will. The ornery old man had left $250,000 plus five hundred acres of Clayton real estate to each of his six grandchildrenâwith certain stipulations, of course. One of them being that the other five adult grandchildren had to return to Clayton and live here for a yearâor no one got their inheritance.