
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 doesnโt remember her, heโs 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?
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:
โAngelina,โ he said. โI sense there are some hard feelings between us. I mean, I donโt remember it, but you seemโฆuncomfortable with me.โ
โItโs fine,โ she said with a shake of her head.
โWhat did I do?โ he asked. โBecause Iโm looking at you, and I see a beautiful, successful woman Iโd be proud to be with. Soโฆwhat happened with us?โ
Her green gaze flicked over to meet his. โYour family happened.โ
What had his father said? And perhaps expect some jealousy toward our family.
โWhat did they do?โ he asked.
โThey hated me.โ She said it so matter-of-factly, with no emotion behind it.
โI find that hard to believeโฆโ He smiled, hoping that sheโd soften her stance there. โFor what?โ
โFor being beneath the quality standard they set for you,โ she said. โThey wanted you to marry someone who came from a family equally well situated. Iโm just a regular woman.โ
โNot so regularโฆโ
Sheโd achieved an awful lot to consider herself ordinary. And look at her! She drew every eye in a room.
โYouโd be surprised.โ She didnโt return his smile, and her gaze didnโt waver. This wasnโt a joke. He was inclined to believe her.
โSo my family hated you, and we broke up?โ he asked hesitantly.
โI got tired of trying to prove myself,โ she said. โAnd I think you got tired of fighting for us. A manโs family is a part of him, Ben. Remember them or not, they formed you. They raised you. Their DNA flows through you. And I wasnโt 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 warningโhe saw Angelina as a threat?
โWhy did I come here?โ he asked.
Angelina shook her head. โI have no idea.โ
โWe didnโt have plans toโฆtalk?โ he asked. โBecause I donโt know why else Iโd be driving this way. Do I know anyone else here or have any business to take care of?โ
Angelina shrugged. โI wouldnโt know. Iโm not a part of your life.โ
โBut you said we talked sometimes,โ he said.
โWe did,โ she said.
โMaybe I wanted to talk again. You said we broke up? Maybe that was weighing on me.โ
โMaybe.โ She met his gaze. โI wouldnโt know, would I?โ She was silent for a moment. โWe always have held on to some feelings for each other. I wonโt deny that. I think you regretted how things ended with us. But we arenโt friends. You canโt feel the way we did for each other, go through that kind of heartbreak and be friends afterward. It doesnโt work.โ
No, he could see that. Knowing next to nothing about her, heโd felt drawn to this woman. And even now, knowing that nothing had worked between them, he still found himself wanting to keep her close.
โBut I came here,โ he said. โWith a storm
at my back, no less. That has to mean something. I feel absolutely certain that I was trying to reachโฆthis place.โ
As she looked at him, he could see that her resistance was up. She didnโt have his answers, and maybe he was asking too much of her to expect her to know why heโd come out here.
โDo 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.
โIโโ He shook his head. โI have no idea. Letโs try and wash them, I guess.โ
She smiled faintly. โYou were particular about your shirts. I should warn you.โ
He thought about it for a moment. โIโm not right now. I wouldnโt mind having my own clothes back. Letโs see how it goes.โ
โAll 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 wouldnโt be appropriate. Whatever theyโd been, it was well in the past.
โGood night,โ he called after her.
โGood 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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