Stories of family and romance beneath the Big Sky!
What had just happened to her?
More than once, Heather had found herself looking at Mitch Fielding with preposterously sexy thoughts. Sheâd never mused in that feverish manner before.
Remembering the way Mitchâs simple touch set her skin tingling, she closed her eyes and relished the memories. The strength of her reactions frightened her. Looking at him, smelling himâ¦Heatherâs heart fluttered.
She was the almost-thirty-year-old mother of three children. Sheâd been married. And sheâd never had these overpowering feelings toward a man before.
Her body remembered his touch. His kiss. The intoxicating loss of control and the frantic desire to possess, be possessed. The lack of restraint terrified her.
And thrilled her.
The question was, how much courage did she really possess?
A peacemaker, a romantic, an idealist and a discouraged perfectionistâthese are the words that Cheryl uses to describe herself. The award-winning author of both historical and contemporary novels says sheâs been told that she is painfully honest.
Cheryl admits to being an avid collector, displaying everything from dolls to depression glass as well as white ironstone, teapots, cups and saucers, old photographs andâmost especiallyâbooks. When not doing a home improvement project, she and her husband love to browse antiques shops. In her spare time, sheâs an amateur photographer and a pretty good baker.
She says that knowing her stories bring hope and pleasure to readers is one of the best parts of being a writer. The other wonderful part is being able to set her own schedule and have time to work around her growing family. Cheryl loves to hear from readers! E-mail her at [email protected].
M itch Fielding led his twin six-year-olds, Taylor and Ashley, through the lunch crowd at the Hip Hop Café as though he were guiding them through a minefield. Taylor narrowly missed knocking over a gray-haired gentâs cane that was leaning against a table edge, and Mitch clamped his hand firmly over Ashleyâs mouth as soon as he noticed an overweight woman shoveling chocolate-cream pie between her lips.
He got them settled into a booth and released his breath. âThere.â He picked up the plastic-coated menu and scanned for something nourishing the twins would eat without pitching a fit. âThey have hamburgers and chicken fingers.â
âYuck. I want a chocolate malt and a pickle,â Ashley pronounced.
âI want skettios,â Taylor said.
âThey donât have skettios,â he replied to one daughter, then turned to the other. âAnd you can have a chocolate malt if you eat a hamburger.â
âGross. I donât want a hamburger.â She folded her arms over the front of her Teletubbie T-shirt. âI want a pickle.â
âYou can have a pickle with your hamburger. Taylor, they have spaghetti.â
âDonât like spaghetti.â
âOf course you do. Itâs the same stuff that comes out of the cans, only real.â
âUh-uh-uh,â she said in a singsongy voice with a shake of her head. âIt doesnât taste the same.â
He resisted the urge to argue or bargain in public, which always made him feel as if his daughters were getting the upper hand anyway. How long could a child survive on pickles, malts and canned spaghetti? It was his job as a parent to see that they were well nourished, but how did he go about it? Some nights he dropped into bed mentally exhausted, feeling lucky to have gotten several bites of anything into them.
A waitress appeared at his elbow, and Mitch glanced up to see the slim blonde in a blue T-shirt proclaiming Breakfast Served All Day give him a curious once-over. Everyone in Whitehorn, Montana, seemed to know each other, and he obviously stuck out as a newcomer. A quick scan confirmed that a dozen eyes had zeroed in on him and his daughters.
âAfternoon,â she said pleasantly. âIâm Janie Austin. Which one of Garrett Kincaidâs grandsons are you?â
âMitch Fielding,â he replied self-consciously. âHow did you know?â
She cast him a friendly smile. âIn Whitehorn everybody knows everybody elseâs business. Anticipating each grandsonâs arrival has been the hot topic for quite a while.â
He didnât know how well he liked being the subject of gossip, but this young woman seemed friendly and accepting enough. Apparently everyone already knew he was one of six illegitimate grandsons the old man had summoned to his ranch. Garrett was still searching for a seventh.