His Hometown Girl
by Karen Rock
Blurb:
He’d always managed to best her…Jodi Chapman will do whatever it takes to get top care for her autistic son. If that means going home and convincing local farmers to sell their land, so be it. Even if her biggest opponent, childhood rival Daniel Gleason, is equally determined to convince farmers to buy into his co-op plan. And he’s not playing fair.
Facing off against Daniel is the last thing Jodi wants. The attraction that’s always fueled their competitiveness is as strong as ever and just as distracting. But with both their futures on the line, and years of distrust between them, how can they ever be on the same side?
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Excerpt:
The music began and Mary gave Daniel a little shove. “Have at her. Indulge us for old
times’ sake. Everyone thought you two would make a great couple when you weren’t
scrapping.”
He looked down at a dismayed Jodi. “Guess we can’t disappoint our fans.”
She threw her hands up and he swept her into his arms. And just like he thought, the
feel of her brought back their middle school days. He recalled his sweaty palms on her
tiny waist and how much he’d tripped because, instead of counting the steps, he’d
counted the freckles on her nose. Kind of like now.
“Mr. Martin had some crazy taste in music,” she surprised him by saying, a far-off look
in her eyes. “How did that count as exercise?”
Being around her raised his blood pressure. She was the best cardio he could imagine.
They moved across the crowded floor, weaving in and out of other couples.
“No idea.” When the tempo changed he twirled and dipped her, their mouths nearly
touching as he bent her over his arm for a long, breathless moment. The feel of her made
his blood surge.
“Let me up,” she said in a rush, and pushed at his chest, her touch electric. When he
straightened, he pulled her closer and smoothed the hair that had come loose from her
bun, her locks like silk. He inhaled the light, fresh scent of her and his body tightened
against hers. His eyes dropped to her lips and he remembered her taste: honeysuckle and
lemon drops. Kissing her had felt like kissing sunshine and for a moment he lost himself
in the glow of that memory.
“Daniel,” she whispered, her eyes shimmering up at him, her voice husky. “People are
watching.”
“Let them.”
When she trembled in his arms, he knew she was remembering the afternoons he’d
held her this way. How they’d lie snuggled in the deep grass together, the blue sky their
only witness. It’d been magic. The ultimate trick, however, was her disappearing act. The
thought sobered him and he loosened his grip. She challenged, exhilarated, frustrated and
attracted him like no other. Yet she had crushed him, too, and he sensed that could happen
as easily now as it had then if he wasn’t careful. He wasn’t just at war with her, he also
battled himself.
As he guided her through the swaying couples, their bodies moved in perfect sync.
Suddenly he thought of her ex and felt a rush of jealousy at the thought of her in another
man’s arms.
“I’m sorry to hear about your divorce,” he said, and felt her stiffen.
“I got through it,” she said lightly, her eyes sliding from his.
“Do you still see him?” An irrational need to know how much time she still spent with
the man seized him. It didn’t matter—or it shouldn’t—yet somehow, it did.
A laugh-snort escaped her and her gaze flew to his. “Not since he left.”
“What about Tyler?” he blurted. The guy might be a fool for not returning Jodi’s love,
but he must at least care for his own child.
The music ended and he led her to a table by the window. After pulling out her chair,
he straddled his.
Jodi caught her lower lip between her teeth and gazed outside. The sun had set
completely and the moon was up, a wedge of creamy white casting its reflection onto the
lake. Night wind rattled tree branches, knocking them against one another. “Not Tyler,
either,” she said at last, her voice sounding empty. Scraped out.
He found her cold fingers beneath the table and wrapped his palms around them. “He’s
a terrible father.” And a horrible person. Who would abandon his wife and child? He’d
known she was a single mother, but he’d never known that she was raising her son
entirely on her own. After this night of revelations, she’d surprised him again and he
admired her even more. What a strong, caring person.
Jodi nodded, her face bleak and beautiful. “Tyler wouldn’t stop crying after his dad left
until—”
She froze, then yanked her hands away and stood. “I’ve got to go.”
“Jodi.” His voice stopped her. “I—I—” He broke off, searching for the right words the
way he might grope for a light switch in the dark.
She glanced around the bar, the faraway look gone, her expression sharp. “We
shouldn’t do this. It’s not good for either of us to get this personal. My focus is on Tyler.
Not bars. Not men.” She gazed at him, her eyes pleading. “Not you.”
Before he could stand, she flew out the door, leaving him again.
About the Author:
Karen Rock has adored romance since receiving Harlequin Presents books from her grandmother each summer. She formed her Young Adult writing partnership, J.K. Rock- pseudonym for the CAMP BOYFRIEND series, with her sister-in-law and Blaze author, Joanne Rock in 2011. When Karen heard of a call for submissions to Heartwarming, Harlequin’s latest line, she was inspired by the possibilities of writing unforgettable, deeply romantic, tender love stories that mothers would feel comfortable sharing with their daughters. When she’s not writing, Karen loves scouring estate sales for vintage books, cooking her grandmother’s family recipes, hiking the ‘high peaks’, and redesigning her gardens. She lives in the Adirondack Mountain region with her husband, daughter, and two Cavalier King cocker spaniels who have yet to understand the concept of “fetch” though they know a lot about love.
For more information about Karen’s upcoming books, check out her website at http://www.karenrock.com, Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/karenrockwrites or follow her on twitter at http://www.twitter.com/karenrock5 . She’d love to hear from you!
You can find and contact Karen:
– Website
– Facebook
– Twitter
– Goodreads
I’m so excited for this book! I’ve heard GREAT things! Plus I loved Camp Boyfriend. 😀
I also loved Camp Boyfriend and I also enjoyed this book. I’ll be sharing my review during the blog tour for this book.
Oh that looks like it could be fun! I always enjoy the rivals storyline. Great cover too! Very sweet 🙂
anna@herding cats & burning soup recently posted…Safe in the Tycoon’s Arms by Jennifer Faye
I thought there was a bit too much rivality between the two of them, but it was an enjoyable read :). I’ll be sharing my review in a few weeks during the blog tour. And I agree with you the cover is great and the strawberries play a part in the story too.