Run To Rome

Book 6: The Heart of the Matter, by Stacey Joy Netzel

All Allie Daniels ever wanted was a family of her own—until her doctor informs her she’ll never be able to have children. She hides her desolation, refusing to let any man close enough to see her broken heart. Most certainly not the town veterinarian, who’s cute three-year-old son reminds her of what she’ll never have.

Rick Wilde had a serious crush on Allie back in high school, but life took them in different directions. Now a single parent, he returns to Redemption several years later to raise his son, Lukas. His interest in Allie is renewed, but her shoulder is colder than the bitter winter wind.

Brought together by an orphaned kitten, Allie finds herself helpless to resist Lukas’s impish innocence—not to mention Rick’s warm charm and sexy good looks. Does she dare take a chance on an impossible dream, or will Rick’s desire for more kids devastate their future?

Colorado Trust Series

Available at : Amazon

Trust in the Lawe (Book 1)

Kendra Zelner has three brothers: Eight-year old Noah she's determined to protect, Joel who has no clue she exists, and Robert who wants her dead.

With reason to be distrustful of cops, she takes Noah and flees their Manhattan home for Joel’s ranch in Colorado. Under the pretense of needing a job, she plans to hide out until her twenty-fifth birthday, when she’ll inherit her trust fund and legally gain custody of Noah away from Robert’s greedy hands. Unfortunately, her brother’s sexy, infuriating ranch manager insists on demolishing her defenses and digging into her past.

Colton Lawe has good reason to suspect Joel’s beautiful, long-lost sister isn’t what she seems—the little liar stole from him! He silently vows to expose her secrets, but long hours together on the ranch fosters a closeness and fiery attraction neither of them expects. Can Kendra trust Colton with the full truth before Robert finds them?

EXCERPT:

“I’d like you to meet Kendra Zelner,” Joel said. “Kendra, this is the JBM Ranch manager, Colton Lawe.”

Colton extended a hand toward Kendra. Okay. Fine. He’d play along; see where this was all headed. She bit her lip as she hesitated, and his gaze was drawn to her white teeth against her full bottom lip. It distracted him enough that when she placed her small, cool palm against his, he flinched in surprise.

He kept his grip gentle at first, and then tightened it. Her eyes widened, and her nostrils flared as she drew in a quick breath.

“Nice to meet you,” Colton murmured.

“Kendra’s my sister.”

Colton released her hand and whipped his head around. Joel didn’t appear to be joking. “Didn’t know you had a sister,” he commented.

“Me neither. And technically, she’s my half sister.”

Focusing his narrowed gaze on Kendra again, Colton read genuine fear. Of him. That ruled out the practical joke angle real quick.

She was right to be worried. Because in a second, he was going to expose her for a lying thief.

Joel and Britt were more than his employers, more than his friends even, they were as close to family as it got without blood ties.

Colton had applied at JBM Ranch fresh out of high school, feeling guilty as hell and scared to death because someone had to pay the medical bills from his father’s accident. Joel took him under his wing and taught him everything about running the ranch. A few weeks ago, when the previous manager, Todd, had gotten married and left to work on his wife’s ranch, Joel turned management over to Colton so he could continue to concentrate on training the horses with Britt.

He couldn’t let Joel down now; he owed him the truth. But before he could form the words, Joel spoke. “Kendra, and her brother, Noah, will be staying for awhile.”

Colton glanced at Joel. “There’s a brother, too?”

Joel smiled. “Yeah. Cody thinks it’s hilarious that a kid his age is actually his uncle.”

Colton’s gut clenched. Joel appeared to have accepted every word the girl said. Whatever line of bull she’d fed him, it must’ve been good, because Joel wasn’t easily fooled. Worse, he looked genuinely happy about the supposed new additions to his family. With everyone watching, no way could Colton tell him he’d been played for a fool. He’d have to wait and talk to Joel in private.

But he couldn’t help commenting, “Wow, a sister and a brother, all in one day.”

The apprehension in Kendra’s eyes increased when his subtle sarcasm registered with her, as he’d intended. She swallowed hard and seemed to be waiting for him to lower the ax. Oh, how he’d love to do that—payback for the sidewalk humiliation. Just the thought of it—

“They can stay in the guesthouse,” Britt said.

Colton and Joel both swung around.