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Snowbound with Her Mountain Cowboy

by Patricia Johns

on-sale Nov.30

Harlequin Heartwarming

Blurb:

A lost memory could mean a second chance!

Mountain resort owner Angelina Cunningham has her hands full with a massive winter storm. Which is exactly when her ex-husband arrives, injured and suffering temporary amnesia. Ben King has always been her weakness. Though he doesnโ€™t remember her, heโ€™s still as charming and sweet as ever, and Angelina is falling for him all over again. But can their rekindled love outlast the storm and the return of their past mistakes?

Amazon: https://www.amazon.ca/Snowbound-Mountain-Cowboy-Patricia-Johns/dp/1335426507/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=SNOWBOUND+WITH+HER+MOUNTAIN+COWBOY+by+Patricia+Johns&qid=1637073870&sr=8-1ย 

Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/snowbound-with-her-mountain-cowboy-patricia-johns/1139136603?ean=9780369714497

Harlequin.com:ย  https://www.harlequin.com/shop/books/9781335426505_snowbound-with-her-mountain-cowboy.html

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Excerpt:

โ€œAngelina,โ€ he said. โ€œI sense there are some hard feelings between us. I mean, I donโ€™t remember it, but you seemโ€ฆuncomfortable with me.โ€

โ€œItโ€™s fine,โ€ she said with a shake of her head.

โ€œWhat did I do?โ€ he asked. โ€œBecause Iโ€™m looking at you, and I see a beautiful, successful woman Iโ€™d be proud to be with. Soโ€ฆwhat happened with us?โ€

Her green gaze flicked over to meet his. โ€œYour family happened.โ€

What had his father said? And perhaps expect some jealousy toward our family.

โ€œWhat did they do?โ€ he asked.

โ€œThey hated me.โ€ She said it so matter-of-factly, with no emotion behind it.

โ€œI find that hard to believeโ€ฆโ€ He smiled, hoping that sheโ€™d soften her stance there. โ€œFor what?โ€

โ€œFor being beneath the quality standard they set for you,โ€ she said. โ€œThey wanted you to marry someone who came from a family equally well situated. Iโ€™m just a regular woman.โ€

โ€œNot so regularโ€ฆโ€

Sheโ€™d achieved an awful lot to consider herself ordinary. And look at her! She drew every eye in a room.

โ€œYouโ€™d be surprised.โ€ She didnโ€™t return his smile, and her gaze didnโ€™t waver. This wasnโ€™t a joke. He was inclined to believe her.

โ€œSo my family hated you, and we broke up?โ€ he asked hesitantly.

โ€œI got tired of trying to prove myself,โ€ she said. โ€œAnd I think you got tired of fighting for us. A manโ€™s family is a part of him, Ben. Remember them or not, they formed you. They raised you. Their DNA flows through you. And I wasnโ€™t acceptable.โ€

Ben felt her words spinning through his mind like that blinding snow outside. His family had been the cause of their divorce? Was that why his father had given him that warningโ€”he saw Angelina as a threat?

โ€œWhy did I come here?โ€ he asked.

Angelina shook her head. โ€œI have no idea.โ€

โ€œWe didnโ€™t have plans toโ€ฆtalk?โ€ he asked. โ€œBecause I donโ€™t know why else Iโ€™d be driving this way. Do I know anyone else here or have any business to take care of?โ€

Angelina shrugged. โ€œI wouldnโ€™t know. Iโ€™m not a part of your life.โ€

โ€œBut you said we talked sometimes,โ€ he said.

โ€œWe did,โ€ she said.

โ€œMaybe I wanted to talk again. You said we broke up? Maybe that was weighing on me.โ€

โ€œMaybe.โ€ She met his gaze. โ€œI wouldnโ€™t know, would I?โ€ She was silent for a moment. โ€œWe always have held on to some feelings for each other. I wonโ€™t deny that. I think you regretted how things ended with us. But we arenโ€™t friends. You canโ€™t feel the way we did for each other, go through that kind of heartbreak and be friends afterward. It doesnโ€™t work.โ€

No, he could see that. Knowing next to nothing about her, heโ€™d felt drawn to this woman. And even now, knowing that nothing had worked between them, he still found himself wanting to keep her close.

โ€œBut I came here,โ€ he said. โ€œWith a storm 

at my back, no less. That has to mean something. I feel absolutely certain that I was trying to reachโ€ฆthis place.โ€

As she looked at him, he could see that her resistance was up. She didnโ€™t have his answers, and maybe he was asking too much of her to expect her to know why heโ€™d come out here.

โ€œDo you want me to have your clothes laundered tonight, or do you want to have them dry-cleaned?โ€ she asked.

Right. She was backing away from the personal.

โ€œIโ€”โ€ He shook his head. โ€œI have no idea. Letโ€™s try and wash them, I guess.โ€

She smiled faintly. โ€œYou were particular about your shirts. I should warn you.โ€

He thought about it for a moment. โ€œIโ€™m not right now. I wouldnโ€™t mind having my own clothes back. Letโ€™s see how it goes.โ€

โ€œAll right.โ€ She turned toward the door.

He wanted to stop her, ask her more questions, convince her to stay awhile, but he could sense that wouldnโ€™t be appropriate. Whatever theyโ€™d been, it was well in the past.

โ€œGood night,โ€ he called after her.

โ€œGood night, Ben.โ€ Her voice was soft, cutting off when the door shut behind her.

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Author Info:

Patricia Johns writes from Alberta, Canada where she lives with her husband and son. She has her Honors BA in English Literature and writes for both Harlequin and Kensington books. She loves prairie skies and time with her family.

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