Blurb:
Joshua Pounds speeds
to Pine Bottom to take care of his ailing dad, expecting to spend his time
bouncing between doctors’ appointments and cancer treatments. His first task,
however, requires a canoe paddle and helping his father’s friend win the
honeymoon of her dreams. Nor does he count on falling in love with an engaged
woman.
Sidney Walker had her
life all planned: the wedding, the honeymoon, and the dependable husband
--until her fiancé crushes her dreams by putting riches above their
relationship.
As her engagement
crumbles, her heartbreak rocks his confirmed bachelor status. He picks up the
pieces, but the challenge threatens both of their ideas about love.
Will Joshua’s resolve
to keep his heart untouched break Sidney’s?
Author:
I am a stay at home mom
who has walked on the dark side of potty training. When not traversing that
valley of shadow, I write, run, and sew. Sometimes with successful results. For
more, check out my blog at Http://joselynvaughn.com
Excerpt:
Chapter One
Where was Colin?
Sidney Walker snapped
her life jacket and double-checked the paddles in her canoe. The race would
start any minute, and her partner was missing in action.
She’d left her phone
with her gear bag away from the lake’s edge, but she debated whether she had
enough time to retrieve it.
Around her, other
teams lined up their canoes and stowed their gear. She snatched Colin’s life
vest from the rear of the canoe and unhooked the buckles, readying it for him
to slip on as soon as he appeared on the beach.
Missy, the woman who
made an art of getting under Sidney’s skin, sauntered past. “Aren’t you missing
someone?” she tossed toward Sidney, a smirk contorting her mouth.
“Colin will be here
any minute,” Sidney gritted, refusing to let Missy rattle her. She twitched the
rope handle on the canoe as if she had all the time in the world. Revenge would
be best served on the lake.
Missy snorted as she
sashayed down the beach to her own canoe. “Good luck.”
Half of Pine Bottom
had hauled lawn chairs to the edge of the beach to watch the race. Colin
probably couldn’t find a parking spot. A band played on the far side of the
park, but the referee’s bullhorn drowned out their song with preparation
announcements. Several boats rolled on the waves outside the swimming area as
they prepared to monitor the competition.
She’d already placed
Colin’s paddle along the canoe bottom with his handle away from his seat, ready
for him to grab after pushing off from the beach.
“The race will start
in five minutes, ladies and gentlemen!” the announcer bellowed through a
staticky bullhorn.
Sidney gasped, “Crap!”
She jammed her fists on her hips and scrutinized the crowd. He had to stumble
onto the beach any minute. Colin’s white safari hat should be easily visible
among the spectators.
Excitement buzzed
around her as her anxiety level rose. She ventured a few steps up the beach
toward the sidewalk. Where was Colin? It wasn’t like him to be late. He knew
they needed the prize money from this series of races to pay for their wedding
and honeymoon. If he didn’t arrive soon, he wouldn’t get into his race rhythm,
and Missy and her brother, Zach, would beat them with their paddles dragging
behind their boat.
Could he have been in
a car accident on the way here? They were close enough to the hospital that
she’d have heard the sirens if that were the case. She rubbed her forehead, but
would they have been audible above the ruckus here? She’d better check her
phone.
She clicked and
re-clicked her vest, then raised her hand to her eyes to scan the milling
spectators again. Nope, she had to check her phone.
Sidney dashed up the
beach to her rucksack. If Colin were in trouble, she needed to know. As
important as the race was to her, his safety out-weighed it. She untangled her
phone from the twist of socks and swimsuits and unlocked the display, hoping to
see anything but the normal home screen. There wouldn’t be a text message.
Colin refused to pay extra for a texting plan. She admired Colin’s
practicality, but at times it was annoyingly inconvenient.
The picture of her and
Colin hugging after their last victory filled the tiny screen. A flicker of
happiness cheered her. She supposed the matching life vests were a bit dorky,
but they were on special at the sporting goods store. She and Colin were so
close to realizing her dream — if he would just show up.
