Me! So much to do and so little time. But I shouldn’t complain. At least, I’m not trying to build a living créche in the little town of Paradise, Montana. That’s my heroine’s ambitious goal, and it’s going to take a whole lot of prayers—and one amazing hero—to make it happen.
Sometimes, it takes a village to create a Montana miracle.
Gage Monroe has given himself until Christmas Day to wrap up the unpleasant bits and pieces of his old life in Paradise, Montana, before starting fresh in much warmer climes. And the last thing a loner like Gage needs is a beautiful, passionate pastor’s misguided attempt to draw him into her flock. The people of Paradise exiled Gage a long time ago…with good reason.
Pastor Samantha “Sam” Zabrinski didn’t move halfway across the country to accept a position in the little town of Paradise because she lacked gumption. She has no intention of giving up on Gage Monroe–a man with depth and heart he hides from the world. Besides, Gage just may be the Christmas miracle Sam’s been praying for…
Sam heard the words, but they sounded so much like an invitation to go out with him on a date, she was certain her brain had something mixed up. Men like Gage Monroe–heartthrob handsome, intense, introverted loner types–didn’t date single moms who were also members of the clergy.
She looked at her watch. “Isn’t it too early to eat?”
He stepped closer. “I didn’t mean this minute. Are you being coy or intentionally obtuse?”
“Neither. I don’t get asked on dates very often. That is what you asked, right? Me. On a date? With you? Alone? Not me and my daughter or a double-date with Jody and Rob Barnes?”
The get-real look he gave her made her cheeks burn. “I haven’t double-dated since tenth grade.”
“How’d that go for you?”
“I got to second base.”
“You touched her boob?”
His grin made her knees wobble. “Lightly grazed.” He ran the backs of his fingers across her jaw, barely touching her skin. Still, the sensation shot straight to the heart of her womanly self. “But it felt like a big deal at the time.”
“Did you brag about it to your friends?”
He looked offended. “I asked her to the school dance. She spent the whole time dancing with a junior. We never talked again.”
“Interesting.”
“Clever stall.”
“Yes. Well. The thing is I haven’t been on a date since Makayla was eight. My sister, Gretchen, agreed to babysit. She was fifteen. Very capable. They were watching a movie and decided to try throwing popcorn in the air to catch it. Makayla got a piece lodged in her throat and started choking. Gretch called Dad and Liz, my step-mom, and they took her to the ER to be safe.” She walked to the window to check on Makayla. She hadn’t moved from the passenger seat where she sat with headphones on, eyes on the screen of her phone, and her feet on the dash. “I’d just made up my mind to have sex when I got the call.”
He pointed upward. “You took that as a sign from Heaven.”
“Actually, I chickened out. The one time I let my base desires take control, I wound up a single mom with a baby and a lot of people questioning whether or not I had the moral caliber to be a minister. This episode reinforced my belief that I wasn’t meant to have a sex life.”
His nearly perfect features screwed up in a look of mystified bafflement. “An accidental pregnancy and one near-miss date? That’s it? Wow. You really do have strong faith. But it’s totally misplaced, in my opinion.”
She crossed her arms defensively. “Oh, really. Who are you to judge?”
He framed her shoulders between his big, powerful hands and walked her backwards into the bathroom. He flicked on the switch and closed the door. Grinning, he said, “This is the cleanest–and most private–room in the house.”
Then he closed the gap between them, forcing her to tilt her head back to look up. “Where were we?”
Panicking because the man I’ve been secretly lusting over suddenly asked me out on a date?
He held up one finger, smiled and touched it to the tip of her nose. “I remember. You asked who am I to judge? And I was about to tell you that I’m just a guy who thinks you’re cute. And sexy. I’ve wanted to kiss you since…about the first minute I saw your incredibly kissable lips.”
Her heart stalled and a prickle of panic formed under her armpits. “I have incredibly kissable lips? Really? No way. They’re just lips.”
“I disagree.”
He put one arm around her back to draw her snug against his body, then proved his point. So matter-of-factly, her mouth parted in surprise. He took that as an invitation and deepened the kiss. His tongue touched hers. And, damn, if her treacherous body didn’t react the way a woman’s body was supposed to react when a handsome man kissed her. Her arms looped around his shoulders and she kissed him back.
Good Lord.
If you enjoyed that, you can read the first Chapter for FREE at Tule Publishing: Chapter 1, or you can buy the whole book from the vendor of your choice at Books2Read here: B2R
For a short time only, you can download PRINCE CHARMING UNDERCOVER – Book I in the Betting On Love series – for $0.00 at all vendors, globally. (At least, that’s the plan. I honestly don’t know if Italy will ever play ball. Sigh.)
That means, if you missed any of my Tule Holiday favorites, you can grab them now for 1/2 off retail! 1 DAY ONLY!!! Don’t wait.
Click on any of the covers below to go to the Tule Bookstore page. And while you’re there, check out the gazillion other fab titles from fab authors at a fab price. (I’m in Black Friday shopper mode, can you tell?) 😉
