u4fb461cd-385e-52a4-9da3-b52f0ea07905">
How many secrets can one man really have?
Tara Hawkins may be the baby of the family, but she’s ready to prove to her siblings she can make it on her own. And she’s betting everything on the success of her diner. Trucker Morgan Thane quickly becomes a repeat customer...and a tempting distraction she can’t afford. The energy between them is overwhelming, yet Tara wonders just how she can trust a man who is hiding so many secrets—a man who’s almost out of hope. When she discovers his heartbreaking reason for being in Haskins Corners, her feelings for him only grow. And the deeper she falls, the closer Tara comes to losing her dream and her heart.
“Are you going to answer me?”
Morgan wanted to reach over and haul Tara close. He knew he had to resist, but what a temptation she was. He ached. He knew he had to face her, had to look at her, had to tell her the truth and risk—no, probably guarantee—it would push her away.
“Go home, Tara. Or back to the diner,” he said softly, slowly turning his head to look at her, clenching the steering wheel in a death grip.
“Not until you answer me.” She settled into the truck’s seat. “Are you coming back?”
The silence was thick. “No. Coming back would be a mistake.”
It took her a while to digest that. “Why?” she finally whispered.
Morgan’s heart sank to somewhere deep in his gut. He paused, not wanting to see the reaction on her face, not wanting to see her hurt, anger or disappointment. He squared his shoulders. The words sat bitter in his stomach before he let them go.
“Tara. I’m...married.”
The A Chair at the Hawkins Table series continues with Tara and Morgan’s story. If you’ve read my other books, you’ve met Tara. Her talent and desire to cook great meals for the people she loves is a big part of what defines her.
When I sat down to figure out her story, I struggled with what kind of man would be her forever love.
At that time, I’d reconnected with a childhood friend on social media and we were revisiting a ton of memories from the old neighborhood. My friend was the youngest child in her family, just like Tara, and her father was a trucker who was often gone for long stretches at a time.
It occurred to me that the man for Tara would come into her life through her cooking. The Someday Café and Morgan were born with that realization. I saw him in my imagination sitting on that stool at the end of the counter—just like where Tara first meets him.
I hope you enjoy Tara and Morgan’s story, and visit the rest of her extended family, here and in their respective books. They really are quite a family.
Please feel free to contact me at [email protected], www.angelsmits.com or at 5740 N Carefree Circle, Suite 120-4, Colorado Springs, CO 80917.
Angel Smits
Last Chance at the Someday Café
Angel Smits
ANGEL SMITS shares a big yellow house, complete with gingerbread and a porch swing, in Colorado with her husband, daughter and Maggie, their border collie mix. Winning the Romance Writers of America’s Golden Heart® Award was the highlight of her writing career, until her first Harlequin book hit the shelves. Her social work background inspires her characters while improv writing allows her to torture them. It’s a rough job, but someone’s got to do it.
This is for all the kids who grew up with me in the old neighborhood. Lisa, Barry, Larry, Greg, Debbie, Matt, Dan, Julie, Steve, Janet, Jamie, Colleen, Betty and April. Riding bikes, running the streets, climbing trees, shooting fireworks and trick-or-treating were that much more fun with all of you. Thanks for the memories.
And to Ron, for making being a grown-up just as much fun!
Contents