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“I think you’re terrified of letting me into your life.”
Jack’s mouth tightened. “In case you haven’t noticed, you are in my life. I didn’t have much choice in the matter, you barged right in and took over.”
“And you hate that,” Abby replied.
“Maybe I resented it at first.”
“And now?”
“This argument is going nowhere.” He cut her off. “Your mother wanted to know what my intentions are toward you.”
“And what did you tell her?” Abby’s smooth brow furrowed.
“I told her we were just friends.” Jack took a deep breath and released it slowly. “I’m not sure she believed me.”
Jack was no longer sure he believed it himself, either.
Dear Reader,
Your best bet for coping with April showers is to run—not walk—to your favorite retail outlet and check out this month’s lineup. We’d like to highlight popular author Laurie Paige and her new miniseries SEVEN DEVILS. Laurie writes, “On my way to a writers’ conference in Denver, I spotted the Seven Devils Mountains. This had to be checked out! Sure enough, the rugged, fascinating land proved to be ideal for a bunch of orphans who’d been demanding that their stories be told.” You won’t want to miss Showdown!, the second book in the series, which is about a barmaid and a sheriff destined for love!
Gina Wilkins dazzles us with Conflict of Interest, the second book in THE MCCLOUDS OF MISSISSIPPI series, which deals with the combustible chemistry between a beautiful literary agent and her ruggedly handsome and reclusive author. Can they have some fun without love taking over the relationship? Don’t miss Marilyn Pappano’s The Trouble with Josh, which features a breast cancer survivor who decides to take life by storm and make the most of everything—but she never counts on sexy cowboy Josh Rawlins coming into the mix.
In Peggy Webb’s The Mona Lucy, a meddling but well-meaning mother attempts to play Cupid to her son and a beautiful artist who is painting her portrait. Karen Rose Smith brings us Expecting the CEO’s Baby, an adorable tale about a mix-up at the fertility clinic and a marriage of convenience between two strangers. And in Lisette Belisle’s His Pretend Wife, an accident throws an ex-con and an ex-debutante together, making them discover that rather than enemies, they just might be soul mates!
As you can see, we have a variety of stories for our readers, which explore the essentials—life, love and family. Stay tuned next month for six more top picks from Special Edition!
Sincerely,
Karen Taylor Richman
Senior Editor
His Pretend Wife
Lisette Belisle
With special thanks to my editor Stephanie Maurer and my friends at SRWA who share the dream.
LISETTE BELISLE
believes in putting everything into whatever she does, whether it’s a nursing career, motherhood or writing. While balancing a sense of practicality with a streak of adventure, she applies that dedication in creating stories of people overcoming the odds. Her message is clear—believe in yourself, and believe in love. She is the founder and past president of the Saratoga chapter of Romance Writers of America. Canadian-born, she grew up in New Hampshire and currently lives in upstate New York with her engineer husband, Frank.
She’d love to hear from her readers. She can be reached at P.O. Box 1166, Ballston Lake, NY 12019.
Contents
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Epilogue
Chapter One
No one would miss him.
Jack Slade had never felt so alone. He stared up at a small patch of deep-blue sky surrounded by snow-capped pine trees. The sky felt closer. He was climbing to meet it, but something weighed him down.
He wasn’t ready to go yet.
How odd to discover he wanted to live, just as he was about to die. He started to laugh, but wound up choking. God, it hurt to breathe. That had him worried. He’d probably cracked a couple of ribs, but that didn’t explain the knife-like pain in his chest. Exposed to the bitter cold, he wondered how long he could survive.
Hours?
Would he see another dawn?
The ache in his left leg was gone; at least that part of his body felt blessedly numb.
Deep in the northern Maine pine woods, Jack was miles from anywhere. Earlier, he’d cut down a section of hardwood. When the rest of the logging crew left, he’d stayed on, hoping to get out one more load before quitting for the day. He’d almost finished when a doe crossed his path.
Startled, he’d swerved to avoid it. For one long sickening moment, the log skidder had started to tip. Jack tried to right it, but the track was uneven, covered in a thin layer of ice. The huge mechanical beast went into a slow roll, finally landing on its side and pinning him underneath.
Luckily a foot of packed snow had cushioned his fall, but there were rocks buried beneath. He’d struck his head and had been knocked out for a while. Now he lay trapped.
Ironically, he’d survived street gangs, a rough-and-tumble youth and even a spell in prison—only to wind up in a primitive forest in Maine. He’d read somewhere that logging, filled with physical hardships and risks, rated third from the bottom when it came to optimum occupations.
Maybe he should have aimed higher….
Abby Pierce lingered in her office at the Pierce Sawmill. Her assistant had gone home. The old post-and-beam building was eerily silent. No screaming saws, no grinding trucks loading and unloading outside in the lumberyard. No rumbling masculine voices—one voice in particular, calling her “Miss Abigail,” its owner taunting her with his sinfully blue eyes and a hard enigmatic smile, undoubtedly intended to put her in her place—wherever that was.
Abby glanced at the clock on the wall. Jack Slade was late, probably working—or stopped off at the diner flirting with a pretty waitress. For some reason, women were drawn to his dangerous edge.
But not Abby.
With an impatient sigh, she closed the payroll files. Jack hadn’t come in to pick up his paycheck, and she was tired of waiting for him.
It was New Year’s Eve—a time for shedding the past and looking to the future with new resolve. Lately, Abby’s life seemed caught in a holding pattern. She had a date with Seth Powers that evening. She should go home and change into the midnight-blue dress she’d purchased for the occasion, but something held her here.