Publisher: Tule Publishing
Release Date: May 9, 2019
farm home after being released from his team, an unexpected surprise sure to
tarnish the family baseball legacy. But when he finds a sexy stranger acting as
the temporary caretaker for his childhood home, all thoughts of baseball
disappear.
ex-boyfriend, Josie Vance moves to Last Stand to start fresh where no one knows
her unhappy past or the con that bankrupted her. But her peaceful healing time
evaporates when the homeowner’s son arrives and throws himself into life on the
farm—and charming Josie. She can’t risk an affair that draws attention to her
or her past. Especially not when the public’s fascination with the
baseball-playing Ramsey clan is at an all-time high. Can she keep her secrets,
her low profile, and her heart too?
went into baseball and the granddaughter… well, she left Last Stand long ago.
Cal’s been in the majors the longest, and I like, never see him around here
even though I’ve worked here since last fall.”
assumed she knew about his family full of athletes? His job explained the
expensive car and clothes, the body toned like a machine, maybe even the
wariness that dogged him. She imagined pro players were hounded by hangers-on
who wanted to be a part of their world for selfish reasons.
and anyone who was remotely famous. She needed to avoid the spotlight at all
costs until the trouble at home died down.
laughter. “Sorry!” she apologized to Josie. “I knew Darlene would go nuts when
she heard.” She picked up the phone and flipped it over, eyes scanning fast.
“She wants a picture? Oh God, how can I get a picture?”
was clear, she couldn’t resist asking one more question.
sure she’d understood. “As in, lost his spot on the team?”
through a back door on the opposite end of the store.
her phone. Josie hurried past the blueberries and melons to the archway where
Cal now stood, his expression stony.
kicked herself for not being more careful.
greenhouse that connected the barn to the farm stand.
before he took her hand and tugged her into the greenhouse behind him.
like potting soil and growing things. He tipped a metal door closed behind
them. A door that closed silently and reminded her how thoroughly he’d startled
her when he re-entered the store.
on and see the bee hives. But her heart was beating too fast with him holding
her hand.
his very intriguing male physique. Was it really her fault to feel a flare of
feminine interest when he was a professional athlete and had the body that went
with it?
say yes.” His voice lacked the geniality that she’d heard him use with the
young baseball fan. It was all gritty edged and hard now.
couldn’t allow herself to feel so soon after another man had deceived her.
that from the outset, hadn’t she?
you’ve broken our truce by asking questions. So in return, I’ve got a few
questions of my own.”
nominee Joanne Rock has never met a romance sub-genre she didn’t like. The author
of over eighty books enjoys writing a wide range of stories, most recently
focusing on sexy contemporaries and small town family sagas. An optimist by
nature and perpetual seeker of silver linings, Joanne finds romance fits her
life outlook perfectly–love is worth fighting for. A frequent speaker at
regional and national writing conferences she enjoys giving back to the writing
community that nurtured and inspired her early career. She has a Masters degree
in Literature from the University of Louisville but credits her fiction writing
skills to her intensive study with friend and fellow author Catherine Mann.
When she’s not writing, Joanne enjoys travel, especially to see her favorite
sports teams play with her former sports editor husband and three athletic-minded
sons.