USA Todayย bestselling author Sarah Morgan returns with the ultimate beach read, as one woman forges the most unlikely friendship of all, and embarks on a summer of confronting her past in order to build the future she wants…
When Joanna Whitman’s famous ex-husband dies in a car accident, she doesn’t know what to feel. Their dysfunctional marriage held more painful secrets than she cares to remember. But when she discovers that the young woman with him in the crash is pregnant, Joanna feels compelled to act, knowing exactly how brutal the media spotlight will be on celebrity chef Cliff Whitman’s ex-wife and his mysterious female friend.
Ashley Blake can’t believe it when Joanna shows up in her hospital room and suggests they hide away at her beach house on a sleepy stretch of California coast. Joanna should be hating her, not helping her. But alone and pregnant, Ashley can’t turn down Joanna’s offer. Yet she knows that if Joanna ever found out the real reason Ashley was in that car, their tentative bond would shatter instantly.
Joanna’s only goal for the summer is privacy, but her return causes major waves in the local community, especially for the man she left behind years ago. All Ashley wants is space to plan for her and her baby’s future, and to avoid causing any trouble for Joanna. But as secrets spill out under the hot summer sun, this unlikely friendship is about to be put to the test.
*****
Review:
Morgan’s latest is a lovely story about how not everything is what it seems and sometimes the only way to go forward is to look to the past.
Joanna has spent years in a spotlight that she doesn’t want and since divorcing her celebrity chef husband she’s done everything she can to avoid it. The sudden death of her husband under scandalous circumstances has the press back at her door. Realizing what it means for her, and the woman in the car with him, Joanna takes them both and heads to her home town to hide. Which also puts her close to those she left behind many years ago. While they wait for the press to find them, secrets come out and connections are made.
Beach House Summer is a slow burn as Joanna and Ashley get to know each other and examine who they are & what they want. Joanna also has to face her past – a friendship lost and a love that might be again.
Hi readers! Iโm Hana Sheik, and itโs release day for my second Harlequin Romance/Mills & Boon True Love, Temptation in Istanbul. Yippee!!! Iโm here to share an excerpt from the book with you today. Itโs a first kiss scene, and Iโll never tire of writing any firsts between lovers.
If you love first kisses too, I hope this one hits your sweet spot.๐
Temptation in Istanbul
by Hana Sheik
Blurb:
A single dadโs greatest temptation? The nanny on his doorstep!
Billionaire Faisal is anxiously awaiting custody of his little girl, whoโs been living miles away with her mother. First he must win the approval of her nanny, Maryan, who has traveled with her to Istanbul. While he shows Maryan the delights of his city, the instant attraction between them is hard to ignore. But Maryan leaves in two weeks, so Faisal must decide how much of his bruised heart he is prepared to riskโฆ
Maryan hesitated a second, and then she grasped his hand, his long, strong fingers holding hers in an even-pressured grip.
Their hands remained clasped longer than necessary.
Longer than sheโd have normally liked.
But Faisal had made her feel like she wasnโt alone. Like her troubles were his in a way, and sheโd come out of this baking and talking feeling lighter, calmer.
Happier.
โMaryan.โ He spoke her name in a breathy whisper; a reverence pulsed from those two syllables. So much so that it sounded less like her name and more like a prayer. She shivered visibly, unable to help the reaction. Her body temperature rose when he closed the short gap between them and his hand brushed up her arm before moving to cup her too-warm cheek. It was a simple touch that set off a firework of desire in her.
โThank you for listening. For asking. For pushing to know.โ
He spoke her mind. Those were the exact words she wished to utter to him. And she would have, had she had a voice to do it with.
His next breath was drawn out, the heat of it brushing her cheek when he planted a quick kiss there.
She stood frightfully still, the pressure of his soft mouth, the emotion behind the gesture, forcing open an oceanโs worth of yearning for him. When he slowly drew his head up, almost reluctantly, Maryan made her choice.
Or maybe heโd made it first, and she went along for the ride.
Because when his eyes regarded her, and his face pushed in closer again, their noses brushing, she pulled up onto her toes and connected their lips in an intimate play of his chaste kiss on her cheek. A hunger accentuated their lip-lock. It colored the moan rumbling through his chest and the heated press of their bodies as he backed her into the opposite counter.
Resurfacing for air was expected but unwanted.
Maryan wouldโve gladly allowed Faisal to steal another kiss and rob her of breath again. A clanging alertness took hold of her when he growled, โMaryan,โ and splayed his heavy, warm hands on her hips.
This time she knew who made the decision for them.
She pushed him away first. Gently, pleadingly. She didnโt have the strength to do it twice.
โWe canโt.โ And they really couldnโt. They had to think of Zara. What would she wonder if she caught them kissing?
And Iโm leaving in a week.
A week wasnโt a good enough reason to jump into bed with the first good-looking billionaire who swept her off her feet. Chemistry or no chemistry, sleeping with Faisal would be a stupid and dangerous move. Stupid because there was no chance it would become a meaningful relationship, and dangerous for the very same reason.
She backed away, her shaking hands giving up on untying her apron.
Abandoning the kitchen, she hightailed it to her room and didnโt look back until she closed her door.
She counted the seconds that lapsed from the time she left him.
When no knock came from the other side and no footsteps down the hall, she pressed a hand to her thumping heart and analyzed what happened downstairs with Faisal.
Heโd kissed her.
Correction: they had kissed.
Sheโd been an active participant in it. That, and she couldnโt kid herself that she hadnโt thought of kissing him before then.
As Maryan stood there, her body more alive in that second than it ever was, two things were clearer now about her and Faisal. Their hearts were both closed off to love, and their attraction was a potent force of nature that went against everything she thought she could feel with another human being before.
*****
Author Info:
Hana Sheikfalls in love every day reading her favourite romances and writing her ownhappy-ever-afters. She’s worked as a data entry operator, customer service rep, telemarketer, andghostwriterโbut being a romance author is without a doubt the best job ever! Born in Somalia, shemoved to the beautiful capital of Canada as a toddler, and still lives there happily with her family.
Giveaway to Win 3 x paperback copies of Temptation in Istanbul (Open to UK / Ireland / US &Canada)
*Terms and ConditionsโUK / Ireland / US and Canada entries welcome. Please enter using the Rafflecopter box below. The winner will be selected at random via Rafflecopter from all valid entries and will be notified by Twitter and/or email. If no response is received within 7 days then Rachelโs Random Resources reserves the right to select an alternative winner. Open to all entrants aged 18 or over. Any personal data given as part of the competition entry is used for this purpose only and will not be shared with third parties, with the exception of the winnersโ information. This will passed to the giveaway organiser and used only for fulfillment of the prize, after which time Rachelโs Random Resources will delete the data. I am not responsible for dispatch or delivery of the prize.
Spending the night in jail isnโt exactly how I planned to spend Christmas, but Iโve had worse holidaysโฆ
Now that Iโm out, itโs time to accept my real punishment. Coaching ten-year-old terrors on the ice, in my non-existent free time. My Coach thinks itโd be good for me. Remind me where I came from. He should know Iโve tried every day of my life for the last ten years to forget.
The youth hockey league is a hell I didnโt plan on and the worst penalty possibleโฆ
Until the day a sweet, single mom cracks a joke about her kid, and then all bets are off.
Iโm the best defenseman in professional hockey, but I didnโt see her comingโฆ now what in the hell do I do? Iโm not equipped for a relationship. Iโm definitely not ready to have a kid depending on me, but I canโt deny she makes me feel thingsโ want things I never imagined I could have.
I should save us both the trouble and stay far away from her. But rules were made to be broken, and I was never good at following them anyway.
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You feel sorry for Holly when you first meet her – her ex is a total *insert favorite bad word here*, he cheated on her with her best friend and then moved in with the woman right next door! But once Dom sets his sights on her … ๐ Holly is a good mom, a caring person, and quickly finds herself drawn to the broody hockey star. And is surprised to find that attraction reciprocated.
This is my first Las Vegas Vipers book so I don’t know what impression previous stories gave readers about Dom but based on Rule Breaker I loved him. He’s troubled but loves his sister and will do whatever he can to help her. He’s made himself a loner because he wants to keep his family & his history quiet. Forced to coach a little kids hockey team, he finds himself drawn to Holly and her son. Before he knows it he’s getting involved and letting other people into his own life. The way that has him growing closer to his teammates turns out to be just as pivotal for him as the relationship that develops with Holly.
Lynn’s latest is funny, angsty, sexy, and entertaining. She gives us characters we can root for, plenty of steam, a boatload of feels, and a HEA that just tugs at the heart. A bit of a warning – there are some sensitive topics discussed, but I don’t feel like she treated them lightly (although I’m no expert in any of them).
*Part of a series but can be read as a standalone.*
*****
Author Info:
Stacey Lynn likes her coffee with a dash of sugar, her heroes with a side of bossy, and her wine a deep shade of red.
The author of over thirty romance novels, many of which have been best-selling titles on Amazon, AppleBooks, and Barnes & Noble, she loves being able to turn her vivid imagination into a career that brings entertainment and joy to her readers. Focused on sports romance and emotional, small-town romance, she also loves stretching herself in different genres.
Born in Texas and raised in the Midwest, she now makes her home in North Carolina and loves all things Southern. Together with her ultimate tall, dark, and handsome hero, she has four children. Her life is a chaotic mess that fights with her Type-A, list-making, neurotically organized preferences and she wouldn’t have it any other way.
Fitness influencer Crystal Chen is so focused on herself and the gym that no man can get in her way: except for firefighter and new gym patron Scott, literally, when he steals her squat rack. Soon the competition โ and their undeniable chemistry โ heats up as they fight for gym domination. But after their escalating jabs, the last place Crystal expects to see Scott is at their grandparentsโ engagement party. As Crystal discovers the softness under his muscular exterior, she feels a deep bond forming โ butย whenย internet trolls come after a viral picture of them, Crystal and Scott will have to ground their budding relationship in what they know is real.
โLeaโs steamy debut romance features well-developed, likable characters with slow-build chemistryโฆVERDICT Hand this one to fans of Helen Hoang and Talia Hibbert.โย โLibrary Journalย ย
โFresh, fun, and extremely sexy.โฏSet on Youโฏis a romance of unexpected depth.โโHelen Hoang,โฏUSA Todayโฏbestselling author ofโฏThe Heart Principleย ย
“Just the right dose of delicious steam. Amy Lea has crafted an ode to all of us who struggle with self-acceptance while remaining determined to love ourselves.”โAli Hazelwood,โฏNew York Timesโฏbestsellingโฏauthor ofโฏThe Love Hypothesisย
โSet on Youโฏis energetic, steamy, bubbly, and so, so fun. But more than that, it’s also a hugely important book that celebrates body positivity in the most joyous way possible.โโJesse Q.ย Sutanto, author ofโฏDial A for Auntiesย
*****
Author Info:
Amy Leaย is a Canadian bureaucrat by day and contemporary romance author by night (and weekends). She writes laugh-out-loudย romantic comediesย featuring strong heroines, witty banter, mid-2000s pop culture references, and happily ever afters. ย When Amy is not writing, she can be found fangirling over other romance books on Instagram (@amyleabooks), eating potato chips with reckless abandon, and snuggling with her husband and goldendoodle.ย Learn more atย https://www.amyleabooks.com.
How do you start over when the biggest mistake of your life has more than one million views?
Forget diamonds; the internet is forever. Social media consultant Isla Thompson learned that lesson the hard way when she went viral for all the wrong reasons. A month later, Isla is still having nightmares about the moment she ruined a young starletโs career and made herself the most unemployable influencer in Manhattan. But she doesnโt have the luxury of hiding away until sheโs no longer โInstagram Poison.โ Not when her fourteen-year-old sister, Dani, needs Isla to keep a roof over their heads. So she takes the first job she can get: caring for Camilla, a glossy-maned, foul-tempered hellhound.
After a week of ferrying Camilla from playdates to pet psychics, Isla starts to suspect that the dachshundโs bark is worse than her biteโjust like her owner, Theo Garrison. Isla has spent her career working to make people likeable and hereโs Theoโhappy to hide behind his reputation as a brutish recluse. But Theo isnโt a bruteโheโs sweet and funny, and Isla shouldย notย see him as anything but the man who signs her pay cheques. Because loving Theo would mean retreating to his world of secluded luxury, and Isla needs to show Dani that no matter the risk, dreams are always worth chasing.
Isla trudged along the hallway toward her apartment, high heels swinging from her finger. Usually she wouldnโt dare go barefoot on public carpetโespecially not in a building of questionable standards, like this one. But after walking six blocks to get home in the pretty, stiletto-heeled death traps, her feet had officially given up the ghost.
Besides, foot hygiene was the least of her problems. With another rejected job applicationโthis one coming through before sheโd even made it home from the interviewโshe had bigger things to worry about.
Isla unlocked her front door and stepped inside, her lips quirking at the familiar sight. Her little sister, Dani, was standing next to the wall, one hand resting on a makeshift barre crafted from a shower curtain rod and some wall brackets theyโd found at the dollar store. She was dressed in a plain black leotard and a pair of pink ballet tights with a hole in the knee. Her battered pointe shoes were frayed around the toes, though the ribbons were glossy and new, stitched on with the utmost care.
Classical music blared from the stereo and Isla hit the pause button. โWhat have I said about disturbing the neighbors?โ
Dani paused mid-pliรฉ. โIf youโre going to do it, do it properly.โ
โThatโs not what I said.โ She shot her sister a look, trying to ignore how her leotard was digging into her shoulders. It was clearly a size too small because the damn girl was growing like a weed. At fourteen, sheโd already surpassed Isla in height.
โOh, thatโs right.โ Dani grinned. โYou said that about schoolwork. But, to be fair, ballet is even more important than schoolwork, soโฆโ
โWeโll agree on that when you can pay the bills with pliรฉs.โ Isla hung her keys on the hook by the door and dumped her purse onto the kitchen counter.
โWorking on it.โ Dani continued warming up, her pointe shoes knocking against the floorboards. โHow was your day?โ
Ugh. You mean, how were the three dozen rejection letters and this last interview, which was clearly only for curiosityโs sake because the recruiter straight up laughed the second I left the interview room?
โIt wasโฆfine,โ she said, without much commitment.
In reality, it was anything but fine. What had her old boss called her? Oh, thatโs right: Instagram poison.
โYou told me once that saying something is โfineโ is no better than saying itโs โpurple pineapples.โโ Dani dropped down from her relevรฉ and frowned. โWhat happened?โ
What hadnโt happened?
Isla pulled a bottle of wine out of the fridge and poured her-self a glass. Sheโd been rationing it, since the only stuff that was left after this was a box wine of unknown origin. โAmanda lost her contract with that makeup company and her movie is flopping. She sent me an angry email today.โ
โWhatever happened to all publicity is good publicity?โ
โItโs a myth. Turns out some things are career killers.โ Isla took a gulp of the wine. โAnd now Iโm that woman who filmed a Disney princess vomiting all over herself.โ
After the live video had been splashed across the internet and featured on network television, Isla had swiftly been fired from her job as a senior social media consultant with the Gate-way Agency. All her freelance clients had dropped her like a hot potato, too. Now, anyone who searched Islaโs name got page after page of the same thing: vomit girl and the person who was too dumb to stop recording.
Hence the growing pile of rejected job applications.
โI take it the interview didnโt go well?โ
Isla cringed at the concern in her sisterโs voice. Most fourteen-year-olds were worrying about frivolous things, like which shade of lip gloss was the most on trend or how to craft the perfect TikTok dance routine. Hell, she would argue thatโs the stuff they should be worrying about. Not whether they were going to have a roof over their heads.
โNo, it didnโt,โ Isla admitted. โBut honestly, Iโm not sure I would have wanted to work there anyway.โ
It was a total lie.
Isla was ready to take anything at this point. It was humiliating to be begging for jobs she could have done ten years ago with her eyes closed, only to be rejected because the recruiters had found someone โwith more experience.โ Umm, what? In other words, sheโd been officially blacklisted from the social media industry.
โHow come?โ Dani walked over to the kitchen, her arms swinging gracefully by her sides. Her dark hair was in a neat bun on top of her head, tied with a piece of leftover ribbon from her pointe shoes. โWere they not very nice?โ
โNot really.โ
Dani came up to Isla and put an arm around her, stooping so she could lean her head against her big sisterโs shoulder. Some days it felt like it was them against the world. Given they didnโt actually know where their mother was these daysโand they hadnโt seen either one of their dads in God only knew how longโthey really did have to stick together.
Isla remembered the day it all happenedโthe eve of her twentieth birthday. Their mother had announced she was eloping overseas with a boyfriend sheโd known less than a month, and they hadnโt seen her since. Apparently motherhood was a temporary commitment, in her eyes. That left Isla responsible for the well-being of another human, and more terrified of the future than sheโd ever been.
Six years later, Isla had built a life for them both. Sheโd fostered and financed her half sisterโs dreams, built up her own dream career and done it all while hiding how often the numbers werenโt in their favor. But the older Dani got, the more keenly she observed what was going on.
โMaybe you can ask the ballet school for our money back,โ Dani suggested quietly.
Her spot had been secured for the summer intensive ballet camp months ago, before Islaโs job situation had fallen apart.
โI know it was really expensive,โ she added.
Isla felt tears prick the backs of her eyes, but she refused to let her sister see even a sliver of her emotion. It was her job to be a pillar. To be the strong one. To be the positive mother figure neither of them ever had.
โDani, I would sell my right kidney if it meant you could go to ballet camp.โ
โIโm pretty sure thatโs illegal.โ
Isla snorted and wrapped her sister into a big hug. Like al-ways, she smelled of oversweet vanilla perfume and mango-scented shampoo. She would do anything for this kid. Anything to make sure Dani grew up knowing that dreams were worth chasing, and that family came first no matter what.
โAnd how do you know so much about black market organ sales?โ Isla raised a brow and Dani laughed.
โCSI.โ
โAh, of course.โ She laughed. But when Dani pulled back, Isla noticed her sisterโs characteristically carefree attitude was hidden under the worry swimming in her blue eyes. Isla hated seeing that. โWhy donโt we go to Central Park, huh? Weโll take your phone and I can get a few shots of you for your Instagram account.โ
โReally?โ Daniโs eyes lit up.
โSure. Just let me get changed.โ
โI promise not to make you take a hundred photos this time.โ Dani grinned and did a little pirouette in the kitchen. โNot even half that!โ
โDonโt make promises you canโt keep,โ Isla shot over her shoulder as she headed into her bedroom. โTrust me, I know where you get those perfectionistic tendencies.โ
The second Isla closed her bedroom door behind her, she slumped against it and deflated like a balloon the day after a birthday party. Outside, the city roared with life. Sirens and horns, music blaring from the open window of another apartment, the shrieking laughter of people enjoying the early evening. She gazed out of the window, her eyes catching on the usual things that faced their cozy (read: cramped) place. There was a glimmer of light as the sun reflected off glass panes, and the zigzag of a fire escape from the building opposite them. The same three apartments always had their blinds wide openโeither inviting voyeurism or not caring enough to prevent it.
Sometimes she wondered about their lives. Had they been stuck and struggling at some point like her? Had they lost faith in themselves and the world?
After she got fired, Isla had assumed it would all blow over if she kept a low profile and didnโt make matters worse. But then Amandaโs movie tanked and all her sponsorships fell through, and people stopped taking Islaโs calls. Even when sheโd tried to laugh the whole thing off as a โMiley Cyrus exerciseโ her contacts had frozen harder than an Upper East Siderโs Botoxed face.
New York could be like thatโwhen you were successful it felt as though the sun was made of gold. And when you fell from grace, you hit the concrete so hard you shattered every bone in your body.
How much longer was she going to be able to keep faking that everything would be fine? Rent was due next week and the final payment for Daniโs elite ballet camp had come out of her account a few days ago. Islaโs eyes had watered at the amount. But Dani had worked so hard, practicing every day and pushing herself to the limit to beat out the rich kids with their prestigious coaches and private lessons and their lifetimes of opportunity.
How could Isla pull the rug out from under Dani like that? What kind of lesson would that be teaching her?
โYouโll figure this out,โ she said to herself. โSomeone will hire you.โ
After all, she had to make it work. Because letting her sister down was not an option.
Excerpted from The Dachshund Wears Prada by Stefanie London, Copyright ยฉ 2022 by Stefanie Little. Published by arrangement with Harlequin Books S.A.
*****
Review:
While it’s entirely predictable, London’s newest is charming and cute. In the beginning Theo is gruff and standoffish, very Beast to Isla’s Beauty but as we get to know him we see the lonely man underneath and the reasons he’s kept himself separated. Time spent around Isla’s bright and understanding spirit has him coming out of his shell more and more. But it leaves him vulnerable and that’s not something Theo likes to be.
Isla is struggling to find work to be able to support her sister and a chance encounter with Theo in the park gives her the help she needs. While working on winning the trust of his temperamental dachshund, Isla also gets a glimpse into the heart of Camilla’s equally troubled owner. And the more she sees, the more she likes.
As good as the romance is, the secondary relationships are important as well. There’s something wholesome about Isla’s relationship with her sister. The way she shows her support and patience, the sacrifices she’s made for her, and the way Dani is willing to help her sister in return. And I really hope we get to see more of Isla’s friend, Scout, as her support is very important to the Thompsons and I’m curious about her story. Theo doesn’t have very many people in his life, by choice, but you can see the caring that’s there for those that have known him the longest. And the stories of his grandmother show just how awesome she was.
There’s so much about this book that I liked. It’s fun, steamy, & emotional and even though I could see their problems coming a mile away, the path to them and then to a HEA made for a very enjoyable read.
*****
Author Info:
Stefanie London is a USA Today Bestselling author of contemporary romance. Her books have been called “genuinely entertaining and memorable” by Booklist, and her writing praised as “elegant, descriptive and delectable” by RT Magazine. Originally from Australia, she now lives in Toronto with her very own hero and is doing her best to travel the world. She frequently indulges her passions for lipstick, good coffee, books and anything zombie related.
Threatened by the unexpected, a devoted rancher refuses to compromise her ambition or her legacy.
Chloe McIntyre is determined to become the co-CEO of her grandfatherโs Montana ranch, but her father isn’t ready to become partnersโyet.
Jaded memories of her parents’ shotgun wedding gone wrong cloud her attraction for best friend Matt Cooper when she discovers she’s pregnantโwith his baby. Chloe believes raising a child isnโt in her genes, and she doesnโt expect a marriage proposal. She keeps her condition a secret to hold her position on the ranch and continue what she does best: wrangling strays and working alongside hired hands.
After her father announces his first choice for co-CEO, a wild ride jeopardizes the pregnancy, and Chloe questions life choices. Will the cowgirl grit she has inherited from her grandmother be enough to rein in her disappointment, or will she walk away from everything that could flourish into love?
โLinda Bradleyโs magical manipulation of words creates a symphony in the readerโs mind, building lasting impressions to savor. If you love young women with grit and determination, then this is the story for you.โ โ Roni Hall, author of Montana Wild and Third Man on the Left
I wasnโt sure which stirred the queasy flutter in my belly, the fact I could be pregnant or the fact Iโd have to own the responsibility. Matt and I werenโt ready for an addition. Weโd been friends since college. We never talked about marriage, and I liked it that way.
My toe-tapping didnโt speed up the process. I wiped my sweaty palms on my jeans. The stopwatch on my phone ticked like the stride of a sloth. I wrapped the pregnancy test in tissue, tucked it beneath the washcloths in the vanity drawer, peeked into the hallway, then decided to go downstairs to the kitchen. I stuck my head in the refrigerator. The blast of air cooled my brow. My stomach rolled over.
My relationship with Matt wouldnโt ever be the same.
I grabbed a bottle of water, shut the door, and twisted the top off. The plastic container crackled. With an eye on the clock, I drummed my fingertips on the counter. The granite was cold, unforgiving.
I peered out the picture window. Maggie and Dad were nowhere in sight. The midday sun lit the majestic Montana landscape. Dad had brought me here to live on his parentsโ 617 Ranch when I was eightโ6/17, my grandparentsโ wedding date.
โI miss you, Grandpa,โ I whispered to his spirit and pictured him, the way he looked when I came here eighteen years ago. I wiped away brimming tears, turned on a heel, hurried back to the bathroom, and locked the world out.
I never knew my grandma, Ida May, and I wished I had. Iโd seen her in old photographs and always wondered what part of me was like her. If any. And did she watch over me with my granddad?
My hands shook as I read the results on the white plastic stick. My vision blurred. There was no mistake about the outcome. I leaned against the counter and glanced in the mirror. I didnโt feel twenty-six and pregnant.
The knock at the door jarred me. I took a deep breath, wrapped the evidence in toilet paper, then buried it beneath the existing trash.
โChloe, are you in there?โ
I turned on the water, washed my hands, and took a seat on the toilet to search the far crevices of my mind for an answer. Every problem had a solution. All I had to do was find it. Maggie called my name, again. My heart raced.
โJust a second.โ I pounded my fists into my thighs. The hangnail on my pointer finger caught in the fray of my blue jeans, and I bit my lip.
โChloe? I could use your help.โ She paused. โChloe,โ Maggieโs voice was muffled through the heavy door. โAre you okay?โ
โYes.โ I dried my damp cheeks, stood, shook out my legs, and inspected myself in the mirror. My wavy, dishwater blond hair framed my flushed cheeks. The silver necklace I wore flickered in the light.
โIโm coming.โ I steadied my hand and reached for the doorknob.
Maggie stood in the hallway, leaning against the railing. Her lips pinched when our gazes met. I hoped I could hide my secret behind a smile. โWhatโs going on?โ
She stepped closer, the corners of her eyes her lined with concern. She was beautiful as ever, perhaps even more beautiful than when I first met her. Her slender fingers pushed strands of hair from my face.
Maggie tucked her long, strawberry blond hair behind her ears. I didnโt think sheโd ever go gray. I desperately wanted to ask her how it felt to carry a child.
โWhatโs wrong, Chloe?โ
My shoulders fell forward. What was I going to do with a baby? Maggie stroked my hair.
โChloe, whatโs wrong?โ
I had no words. Maggie held my hands in hers. The flecks of gold in her green irises shimmered like an Irish field as the light streamed through the window at the end of the hallway.
โItโs nothing.โ
โYouโre obviously upset. Youโre shaking.โ
โMatt and I had an argument.โ I lowered my gaze at this lie.
โAbout what?โ
Maggie examined me through narrow slits. Hopefully, she wouldnโt go all Maggie on me. Thatโs what Dad called it when she sensed something was off. As amusing as I thought it was when she turned the tides on him, I didnโt want to be in the undertow should she suspect a fissure in my world. She had the nose of a hound when it came to pretense. I suspected she acquired this inherent sense before retiring from her elementary teaching career.
โI should talk to Matt first,โ I answered.
I swallowed away the knot at the back of my throat and leaned against the wall. My shoulders fell forward. I tucked my fingers in my pockets and hooked my thumbs through the belt loops of my faded jeans.
My flat stomach wouldnโt be so flat much longer.
โI canโt imagine anything being so bad. You and Matt get along so well.โ
I leaned back; my shoulder blades skimmed the wall. โYeah, Iโm sure we can work it out.โ How do you work out a baby?
โI could use your help in the barn. Butch and Sundance have gotten into the burrs. I tried combing their tails, but they arenโt having it. Thought maybe you could win them over with your charm and sugar.โ
I scuffed my boot lightly against the floor. โButch and Sundance always find the burrs.โ So did I.
โYes, they doโโMaggie smiledโโbut they make up for their horseplay with hard work and loyalty.โ
โNice one,โ I said, following her downstairs and into the main part of the house filled with rustic furnishings, love, and everything Montana. Pretty soon it would be filled with the pitter-patter of little feet.
โIโm sure whatever it is, it isnโt as bad as you think. Itโs easy to make a mountain out of a molehill.โ Maggie stopped at the bottom of the stairs and turned to face me. โWhen you want to talk, Iโm here.โ
โThank you,โ I said.
โDo you feel like helping me?โ She picked up Dadโs corduroy barn jacket from the floor and hung it on the antler hall tree.
โYeah, I canโt let Butch and Sundance stay gnarled and knotted like your mommaโs knitting yarn.โ
โSpeaking of my mom, Iโd love to see her, up close and in person. I sure miss her.โ Maggie straightened the plaid throw on the back of the leather sofa. โYour dadโs in the pasture rounding up cattle with the guys. Butch and Sundance have also been rolling in the mud. I canโt wait โtil someone fills in the hole theyโve made. Youโd swear they were a couple of wallowing hogs.โ
She stopped short in front of me, and I bumped into her. โSorry,โ I said.
โNo need to be sorry. Iโm used to it. Youโve been on my heels since the day I met you. Remember the time we bumped heads and I needed stitches?โ
โHow could I forget?โ
Maggie pushed the hair away from her left temple. โThe scar is completely gone, but the memory lives on, dear girl.โ
There was a message in her words. She wasnโt one to hold a grudge. She was making a point.
โI figured if I brought it up again, it would take your mind off whatever is troubling you. Michigan seems like a lifetime ago.โ
โSure does,โ I said. โSome days Iโd give anything to be a little girl again.โ
Maggieโs gait across the dark planked floors was slow and easy. Over the years, she had absorbed our Gallatin Valley tempo of living and tamed her Midwestern suburban ways, but she hadnโt forgotten her roots. When she wasnโt riding or doing chores, she photographed ranching life in Montana with hopes of publishing her images in a coffee table book.
I turned off the kitchen lights and put on my cowboy hat. Maggie reached for me and squeezed my hands. Her soft touch melted my insides.
โI miss those days, too. I think I got the better end of the deal though,โ she said.
โWhyโs that?โ
โBecause I inherited you after the diapers, colic, and ear infections. I mightโve missed the baby and toddler years, but you were still young enough to cuddle with when I married your dad.โ
โActually, I think I got the better end of the deal. Youโve made life easier. Having you made up for my momโs absence.โ I hugged her. โMomโs Hollywood modeling career has taken a toll on both of us. Me and her. Maybe someday she and I can make up for lost time, mend some of the rifts. Sheโs always busy though.โ I opened the mudroom door. Samson, our scrappy bulldog, waited for us outside. He was seven but had the heart of a pup. โCome on, boy, letโs get to the barn and see whatโs going on. If it werenโt for me, this place would go under.โ Samson woofed and lollygagged down the path beside me. โI swear this dog is Bones reincarnated,โ I said to Maggie. โHe has the same swagger and muddy brown eyes.โ
โHey, what do you want for dinner tonight? I picked up some thick cowboy steaks at the butcherโs today. Howโs that sound?โ
She tripped on a rock and grabbed my arm to balance herself.
โMaybe.โ I shrugged.
โGeez, you must really be down in the dumps. Steak is your favorite.โ
โSteak sounds delicious. Wish Grandpa were here to cook. I wish he were here to do lots of things.โ What I wanted most was to curl up in his lap and bury my head in his shoulder. At the end of the day, whether Iโd screwed up or not, I was his girl. And with him gone, I didnโt quite fit in anymore. Somehow, Grandpa always made me feel like one of the guys. Dad, Grandpa, and I had been the three amigos. The banter came easily, and our intentions flowed freely in his presence. โI canโt believe itโs been almost two years,โ I said.
โSeems like yesterday, most days.โ Maggie blew a kiss toward his memorial marker up on the ridge, then whistled for Samson to get out of her garden. โHis method of harvesting beets and carrots makes for a slim crop. Heโs got to stop digging holes.โ
Samson wasnโt the only one digging holes. I looked toward the ridge where weโd scattered Grandpaโs ashes. The shimmy down my spine forced my shoulders back, and I lifted my chin to the breeze. In my mind, my grandmother appeared to be nudging Grandpa out of the way. โYou know what, Maggie? Iโll cook.โ
โYou sure? Your last attempt resulted in a near four-alarm fire.โ
โIโm positiveโand thanks for the reminder. I put the last fire out, and Iโll extinguish the ones to come.โ I tucked my fingers in my back pockets. A baby might fill Grandpaโs void, but the sole way to make sure his legacy lived on was to take todayโs bull by the horns and wrestle it to the ground. Iโd dreamed of running the ranch, not raising a child. I was being given a chance to follow in my grandmother Ida Mayโs footsteps, which meant it was time to quit bellyaching about what I couldnโt change and do something about the things I could. The McIntyre ranch had an heir on the way, and I was speaking for both of us now.
*****
Author Info:
Lindaโs inspiration comes from her favorite authors and life itself. Her character-driven stories integrate humor found in everyday situations, family drama, and forever love. Her distinct voice creates memorable journeys and emotion.
Lindaโs been a finalist in the Booksellers Best Contest and Romance Reviews Readersโ Choice Awards. Linda lives in Michigan with her artist husband, sons, and rescue dog. Linda loves art, animals, and stories with hope and heart.
“Maggie’s Wayย is a heart-warming tale of love and loss, fear and friendship. With charming characters and a moving plot, Linda Bradley’s debut gently reminds us that it’s never too late for second chances.” โLori Nelson Spielman, International Best Seller, Author ofย The Love Listย andย Sweet Forgiveness
โLinda Bradleyโs fresh voice will keep readers riveted from beginning to end. Bradley delivers a heart-warming story full of disarming honesty and beautiful dramaโฆThis one stands out!โ โJane Porterย New York Timesย andย USA Todayย best selling author
Romantic Reads and Such 