Book Blurb:
Three
years ago, artist Emily White’s grief and survivor’s guilt sent her to the
small Wyoming town of Fly Creek. Since then, she’s kept her emotions safely
tucked away—until she meets the new rancher at Sky Lake Dude Ranch. Stetson in
hand, the gorgeous cowboy’s arrival in her store immediately shakes up her
world.
Adam
Conley is only in Fly Creek for as long as it takes to fulfill his promise to
his late cousin. The small town brings up too many memories of the life he left
behind years ago. He knows his task won’t be easy, but the last thing he
expects is the instant attraction to the reason he’s in town. Emily is
beautiful, vibrant, and completely off-limits. He’s there to keep his
promise—not fall in love.
But
Adam’s secret will crumble everything Emily’s life has revolved around.
Purchase links:
Amazon: https://goo.gl/WzJPkC
iTunes: https://goo.gl/w28FMA
Kobo: https://goo.gl/qhQHSq
Goodreads: https://goo.gl/tYDdzc
Excerpt:
Forcing
a smile to her lips, she accepted the kind gesture. One completely at odds with
how she expected them to be going forward. “Thank you. I do like tea. But…”
“But?”
Slumping
onto the stool beside her easel, Emily took a sip, eyeing Adam over the plastic
lid. “Adam, I thought it might be obvious last night. I don’t—can’t—do relationships.”
“Seems
to me there’s a big difference between don’t and can’t. Which is it?”
He
moved closer, his scent, something she noticed last night, invading the air
between them. A mixture of sawdust and ranch combined with that special
something you only got from working outdoors in a place like Wyoming. It was
elemental, woodsy, almost overpowering, but in a way you wanted to be
overpowered.
Maybe
that was part of what was bothering her. This was the man who had looked at her
their first meeting and seen past the shell she showed Fly Creek. Then, last
night, he’d seemed to understand her so well. As if he’d known her before. As
if they had some connection that until she’d reached out to him, hadn’t
existed. And that made giving him an answer impossible.
Adam
chuckled and leaned against the counter. “Emily, me bringing you tea doesn’t
constitute a relationship.” He batted his hat against his thigh. “I had a nice
time last night and would like to get to know you better.” He deployed the
dimples. “I believe the term we’re looking for might be friendship. You know,
between one change seeker and another.”
She
sputtered, tea spraying forward, narrowly missing his boots. “You want to be
friends?”
Adam
clenched his jaw and nodded.
“And
you think after last night that’s possible?”
“I
think lots of things are possible. But, yes, I think after last night”—he
nudged her—“it’s imperative.”
She
shook her head and placed the tea on the counter, ignoring her body’s hoots and
hollers over the simple contact. God, this was snowballing.
“Friends?”
Man, that sounded foreign. She didn’t have friends. At least not for the past
three years. She used to relish the whole thought of barbeques and parties and
bonfires complete with a huge circle of people she cherished. Those people
still existed, but she didn’t. At least not the Emily they used to know. Could
she remember how to be a friend or something that might resemble it? A true
friend would be emotionally invested and even the thought of liking someone
enough to care had her wrapping her arms around her stomach to quell the wave
of fear and hurt that rolled through her.
“Are
you okay?”
Two strong hands gripped her shoulders
and Emily looked up into eyes full of concern and curiosity. God, this wasn’t
right. That connection again. He knew. He recognized something in her. It felt
good to have someone care. She knew her family did, but their concern flowed
from pity. Adam’s was something different, wasn’t it? He couldn’t have pity. He
didn’t know.
Giveaway Info:
$20 Amazon Gift Card
Author Bio:
Jennifer lives in a small town in Pennsylvania with her husband and two daughters. When not writing, she can usually be found elbow deep in flour or inhaling chlorine as she cheers her daughter on at a swim meet. She loves musicals, caramel and roller coasters, and lists Machu Picchu at the top of her bucket list. She is a member of RWA and is the President of her local chapter, Central Pennsylvania Romance Writers. Find out more about Jennifer and sign up for her newsletter at www.jenniferhoopes.com
Connect:
Author’s Website: www.jenniferhoopes.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/jenniferhoopesauthor
Twitter: www.twitter.com/DumplingJenn
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