Can two stubborn hearts find love under the tall white pines?
EXCERPT:
He broke the stillness first. “Did you
recognize him?”
“Who?”
"The
thief you knifed in the woods, Miss Decoy.”
“How
would you know I knifed him?”
“I
heard no gunfire from the clearing, but from the amount of blood scattered all
over the place, you more than just playfully tickled his ribs. Actually, it
looked like you went for the poor fellow's jugular vein.”
“I
wish I had. I only stabbed him in his shoulder. I wasn't aiming to kill, just
slow him down a bit."
“With
men that ruthless, Willie, it's best not to extend too much compassion. Those
three riders on the ridge weren't exactly trying to miss your backside in the
true spirit of Christian charity.”
“Next
time, I won't let them get that close.”
“There
won't be a next time,” he snapped. “You pull a fool stunt like that again while
I'm here, and I will tell your
father. The closest you'll ever get to a logging operation will be sewing
buttons on your crews’ shirts. So tell me, did you recognize him or the horse
he rode?”
“No.
If I had recognized him, or his blasted horse, I would have spoken to the
proper authorities.” She paused and wagged a slim finger at his face. “You
realize, mister, you're a pain in the...”
“Don't
even say it!”
“Neck.
But your first conclusion might be a more appropriate location.”
Their
dueling gazes met and he reached out and captured her against his chest.
Suddenly conscious of the fact that he
either wanted to shake her mercilessly or kiss her senseless, he released her
gently, disturbed by the discovery she had aroused far more than anger. He
stalked to the fireplace and gripped the mantel, his head bent in thought. He
had always been good at logical reasoning, but this wisp of a backwoods girl
defied every civilized rule he ever learned. Her nearness stoked a gently
growing fire that he’d never felt before with any other woman. And she was
oblivious to it all. How would he ever be able to work beside her?
A
lengthy silence elapsed before he spoke in a calm voice. “Is there a possible
way we can come to terms since we have to share the same roof over our heads?”
Shifting
like the wind, she concurred. “Unfortunately, I agree with you.”
Turning,
he pinned an astonished gaze on her. “You mean there’s actually an ounce of
compassion in that tiny body of yours?”
Willie
grinned. “Don't compare my size with my compassion, or any other of my
abilities, for that matter. The venom of a rattlesnake is deadly regardless of
its size.”
BACK COVER BLURB:
The year is 1856. White pine is king of
the forest.
 |
| Releasing on April 15th |
The last thing Jonathan Wain wants to do
is ride miles through Pennsylvania’s wilderness to help his father’s logging
partner in the small settlement of Clearfield. But his family owns clipper
ships in the Chesapeake Bay that carry the coveted logs to the markets each
spring, and they can’t afford a loss.
The last thing Wilhelmina Wydcliffe
wants is a handsome sea captain from Maryland meddling in her father’s logging
operations under attack by unknown enemies. A feisty tomboy and better known as
Willie to her crews, she has a dream to be the largest logging operator east of
the Mississippi River.
When both Willie’s and Jonathan’s lives
are threatened, they are forced to work together to find their enemies before
both of their companies are in shambles.
But as their attraction to each other
escalates, can they set aside their differences, unearth the truth, and
discover contentment in each other’s arms?
I have only a clump of old-fashioned rag
roses left, which I dug out from around the foundation of an old house from the 1800s on our farm in Northeastern
Pennsylvania. This hardy variety seems to be able to hold its own, despite the
rabbits munching down the stalks under the snows.
