by Janie Crouch (2020)
Marilyn Ellis is finally putting her life back together. The domestic abuse she suffered may be labeled textbook by therapists, but it's the parts she's never told anyone that haunt her. She refuses to get rapped in that hell ever again. Former Special Forces soldier turned rancher Noah Dempsey is more than capable of training the delicate single mom in moves and tactics that will help her feel safe. But his own tortured past makes him decidedly less qualified for anything more. No matter how much her big eyes--and even bigger heart--draw him in. However, when unexpected danger arrives in their small town, Noah knows this is a woman worth fighting for. Worth fighting beside. And he's going to be the one to do it. She needs a hero. He'll have to remember how to be one.
edited and with a story by Stephanie Perkins
Summer is the perfect time for love to bloom, and these short stories of teenagers facing the confusing maze of first love will have you dreaming of sunset strolls by the lake. The selections range from heartfelt to outlandish, as the characters find passion in some very unexpected places.
Delores Fossen
"When Lauren Beckett is nearly killed in a home invasion and discovers her son was switched at birth, she knows there's only one man she can turn to for protection. Deputy Cameron Doran isn't expecting to find his ex-lover on his ranch, claiming the unthinkable about the nephew he's been raising. But as they seek the truth, someone else is on the hunt ... and wants them dead"--Page 4 of cover.
Anna Schmidt
She'd always lived a charmed life, so when Bethany Taft's fiancé was killed, she thought her chance for happiness was gone forever. But after her beloved aunt got engaged—at sixty!—Bethany found joy in her role as wedding planner. Spending time with Cody Dillard, the groom's son, was a given—the rancher flew Bethany to Chicago and back in his private plane. And between Cody's charming nature and her aunt's matchmaking attempts, Bethany found herself wondering if the God she'd turned her back on meant for her to be a bride, as well.
Bobbi Smith
He was heir-apparent to a ranching fortune, but Rick Peralta craved freedom. He found it in his disguise as El Cazador, a notorious gunman with a fast flight, a fleet horse - and the company of a woman whenever he pleased. But when he sets eyes on Jennie McCaine among his compadres, there's only one woman he wants. The rancher's daughter may be sheltered, but he can see that Jennie has a free spirit to match his own...No fantasy of romance had yet rivalled Jennie's love for the wildness of the land. And when she's kidnapped by a gang of desperados, she swears she'll die before giving herself to any man. But there is something about the rugged El Cazador that captures her attention in a way that thrills, frightens, and awakens her. Now she will have to decide whether to trust him, and herself.