Stacey Joy Netzel Boxed Set (28 page)

Jake had located an old lumber mill on two
acres bisected by a creek just outside the city, and they’d
renovated the sprawling building to house Loral’s landscape design
business and relocate
Yore Timeless Treasures
. Jake had most
of his inventory moved already, and by the end of the summer Loral
planned to have three complete display gardens outside, and two
smaller ones inside to showcase her hothouse designs, complete with
a mini-replica of their outside water wheel.

A few weeks ago, across the creek over a
rebuilt wooden walking bridge, Jake had taken her on the most
romantic picnic and they’d day-dreamed about the house they’d build
there. Afterward...
mmm
...Loral still remembered every
delicious moment of the rest of that afternoon.

She whispered the memories in Jake’s ear on
their private limo ride to the reception, loving the hungry glint
her words sparked in her husband’s eyes.

A low growl rumbled from his chest. “Keep
that up and I won’t hesitate to drag you into the coat room
later.”

“Promises, promises.”

“Do you have any idea how hard it’s been
keeping my hands off you in that dress?”

She smoothed her palm along the pale pink
satin covering her thighs and gazed up through her lashes. “So
don’t try so hard.”

The invitation spurred him into action. His
hand covered hers, then slid beneath the hem of her dress and
inched upward. One second away from capturing her lips with his,
his hand froze.

“Stockings,” he breathed. “Garters,
too?”

Loral grinned. “All for you, babe.”

His mouth covered hers, possessive and
passionate.

By the time they reached the supper club for
the reception, she had to readjust her dress, find her shoes, and
pin a few curls back in place. Jake straightened his tie and
reluctantly ducked to exit the door their driver opened. Loral
yanked him back.

“One sec...”

She reached up to finger-comb some order
back into his dark hair. Desire simmered in his eyes as he waited
for her to finish, then he kissed off the clear gloss she’d hastily
reapplied.

“How long do we have to stay again?”

“Stop it.” She pushed for him to get
out.

He grinned as he reached back to help her
from the vehicle. “You know it’s going to be a long night.”

Once she straightened, a wave of dizziness
swamped her. To cover it, she leaned against her husband. “Time
will pass much quicker than you know.”

“Not knowing you’re wearing those garters,
it won’t.”

In the late afternoon sunlight, a pair of
dragonflies buzzed past Loral and Jake and nose-dived toward the
overflowing flower borders flanking the sidewalk. Loral sucked in a
breath of wonder at the sign and seized the moment.

“How about if...” She lifted on tiptoes and
whispered the rest of the sentence into his ear.

Jake stiffened. Pulled back until he could
see her face. Loral smiled and nodded, and kept nodding until his
mouth curved into the widest grin she’d ever seen. With a loud
whoop, he picked her up off her feet and swung her in a circle.
Other arriving wedding guests smiled while moving out of the
way.

She gasped as her stomach protested. “Easy,
sweetie.”

“Sorry.”

Back on her feet, she hadn’t even caught her
breath before Jake kissed her again.
Mmm
...she loved her
life.

“What’s going on?”

They broke apart and Loral jerked around in
Jake’s arms to face the bride and groom with a quick, “Hey, you’re
here.”

Phil smiled, his arm stealing around his
wife. “That we are. And what are you two lovebirds
celebrating?”

“Nothing,” Loral said, hoping Jake would
keep quiet. Jake’s hold tightened as she crossed her arms over his
forearms. “We’re just happy for you.”

Her mother tilted her head and raised her
eyebrows, clearly not buying that explanation.

Jake spoke low in her ear. “You don’t want
to tell them?”

“It’s
their
day,” she hissed
back.

“I don’t think they’ll mind.”

Loral hesitated; Jake didn’t say a word. She
glanced up; he shrugged as if to say,
“It’s up to you.”

“Loral?” her mother prompted.

Resigned, she finally gave in and let her
joy reign free. “Remember how you always say I’m not getting any
younger?”

Her mother’s brow creased, then the words
registered. Her eyes opened wide and she threw her arms up with a
shriek. Jake let go when Loral moved forward to hug her mom. After
all they’d been through the past few years, they were more than due
their happiness, and she’d remember the delight on her mother’s
face for years.

Loral blinked to combat her happy tears, but
figured she’d be making a trip to repair her make-up no matter
what.

“This is so wonderful!” Her mother stepped
back, wiping at her eyes, too. She laughed when she saw Loral.
“Don’t we make a pair?”

“I know.”

“Ah...someone want to clue me in here?” Phil
requested as Jake gathered Loral close again.

“Today it’s husband and wife,” Jake advised
the former confirmed bachelor. “In about seven months you’ll be
answering to Grandma and Grandpa.”

Thank you for reading!

Stacey Joy Netzel

I fell in love with books at a young age, so for me
it seemed only natural to graduate to writing them...when I'm not
chained to my desk at the day job as a corporate travel agent. I
credit my parents for encouraging my dreams of becoming a published
author, as well as the very talented friends I've made in Romance
Writers of America and Wisconsin Romance Writers (WisRWA) since
joining in 2004.

An avid reader and lover of movies with happy
endings, I still live in Wisconsin with my husband and three
children, a couple horses and some barn cats. In my limited free
time I enjoy gardening and canning, and visiting my parents up
north at the cabin on the lake with the whole family.

Follow me online:

~~~

Smashwords

Website and Blog:
http://www.StaceyJoyNetzel.com

Facebook:
Facebook.com/StaceyJoyNetzel

Twitter:
http://twitter.com/StaceyJoyNetzel

Stacey’s Other Titles:

Lost In Italy
(romantic suspense)

**first chapter sneak peek
below

Dragonfly Dreams
(Christmas novella)

If Tombstones Could Talk
(paranormal ghost novella)

Mistletoe Rules
(Christmas anthology-3 stories in one book)

Mistletoe Mischief, Mistletoe Magic, Mistletoe
Match-Up

Chasin’ Mason
(contemporary western)

~

Colorado Trust Series

**excerpts below

Trust In The Lawe
(western
romantic suspense)

Shattered Trust
(romantic
suspense)

Shadowed Trust
(romantic
suspense)

Other titles by Stacey Joy Netzel

(back to top)

Available at :
Smashwords

Welcome to Redemption
Series
...

(with Donna Marie Rogers)

Buy the individual stories or the Boxed
Set

~~~

...a small town in Northeast Wisconsin where
second chances don’t always come easy, but if you’re willing to
try, anything is possible.

Book 1: A Fair Of The Heart
, by Donna
Marie Rogers

Single mother, and work-at-home beautician,
Lauren Frazier can barely keep a roof over her head, let alone stop
it from falling down around her. When handyman Caleb Hunter shows
up at her door for a haircut, it’s like the answer to her
prayers—and the attraction is instantaneous. Too bad her
troublesome ten-year-old son isn’t quite as thrilled to have Caleb
hanging around.

Old wounds have kept Caleb from returning to
Redemption permanently. When he receives word of his mother’s
unexpected death, guilt and regret bring him home again, but will
the love of a good woman keep him there? Beautiful, witty, and
strong, Lauren excites Caleb like no woman ever has, but she’s a
package deal, and he’s not sure he’s prepared to take on a
ready-made family.

Book 2: A Fair To Remember
, by Stacey
Joy Netzel

Reformed gang member Wes Carter feels
Redemption, Wisconsin, is just the place to relocate his financial
business for reasons more than just the name. He’s ready for a
nice, quiet life in small town USA. Tara Russell has decided it’s
time to add some excitement to her life and get a little wild—no
matter how uncomfortable it makes her or her overprotective family.
They meet at the local fair one warm summer night and discover
opposites attract for all the right reasons. Add a dash of Sugar in
the form of an incorrigible Great Dane, and it’s destined to be
A Fair To Remember
.

Book 3: The Perfect Blend
, by Donna
Marie Rogers

Carrie Lowell swears off men for good after
nearly losing her business in a bitter divorce settlement to her
abusive ex-husband. She’s on the verge of filing bankruptcy when
handsome librarian Matt Jacobs walks into her shop and offers
sound—if unwanted—business advice. Sure, financially he’s a
godsend, but emotionally he’s a threat to the barricade she’s built
around her heart.

Heir to a vast fortune, Jacob Spalding flees
LA for the tiny Midwest town of Redemption, Wisconsin to escape the
scandalous nightmare his life has become. Now known as Matt Jacobs,
he buys a little cottage and settles in to small town life. Soon,
he finds himself infatuated with the owner of the coffee shop
across the street. Too bad the infuriating woman is as contrary as
she is beautiful.

Book 4: Grounds For Change
, by Stacey
Joy Netzel

Charlie Russell lived with a secret for
fourteen years, but now guilt has pushed him to the breaking point.
He meets psychologist Dana McClain and feels an instant connection
that has nothing to do with his Great Dane, Sugar, spilling coffee
down her shirt. Dana switched to counseling animals because she has
a history of becoming too emotionally involved with her clients.
She figures she’s safe helping Charlie with Sugar’s issues, until
he reveals his secret and asks for her help. She tries to convince
herself it's all about the dog, not the guy, but history has a way
of repeating itself.

Book 5: Home Is Where the Heart Is
, by
Donna Marie Rogers

Used to the finer things in life, heiress
Melinda Spalding is thrown for a loop when her brother relocates to
the Midwest. Her parents even expand their business to the small
town and put her in charge of the project. Discovering she likes
“Mayberry” and its quirky inhabitants is almost as shocking as her
growing attraction to the local auto mechanic. But LA is where she
belongs…or is home truly where the heart is?

Drew Porter learned at his mother’s knee how
treacherous women can be—and when snooty "Lindy" Spalding skids
into his life and nearly hits his dog, she seems worse than most.
An unlikely bond between their pets gives him an intriguing glimpse
behind her pretentious exterior. While his heart wonders if there
more to her than meets the eye, his head tells him to run as fast
as he can in the opposite direction.

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

(back to top)

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?