by: Joan Kilby
Series: Sweetheart, Montana
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Release Date: September 13, 2022
Publisher: Tule Publishing
Thanksgiving is a time for family…
As a young widow and mother to a three-year-old boy, Sarah Mills’s life is complicated, becoming more so when her high school sweetheart, Daniel, moves back to Montana. He left her behind after graduation and she married his brother, only needing Daniel’s services as a sperm donor when she and her husband couldn’t conceive. Now Daniel's offering her a job as resort manager—but he wants to be part of her son’s life.
Recently retired from pro football, Daniel Hunter is tired of holding on to secrets. He badly wants a relationship with his biological son, and a second chance with the woman he never stopped loving. He builds a first-rate eco resort in Sweetheart, Montana, to give him a shot at a new life post football and proposes to Sarah, thinking it’s the most practical choice for all three of them.
Daniel still makes Sarah’s heart skip a beat, but he’s left her behind once already. She’s convinced he won’t stay this time, either, and now it’s not just her heart at risk.
Inspiration: I looked no further than the gorgeous Chris Hemsworth.
Age: 34
Date of birth: June 15
Physical Description: tall, athletic physique, dark blond hair, blue-green eyes.
Occupation: ex-pro football player (quarterback). Now retired from football, he’s bought a brand new, log-built, eco-resort in his hometown of Sweetheart, Montana and plans to run it himself.
3 likes in no particular order: home cooking; playing football for fun; sitting on his deck watching the sun set over the lake.
3 dislikes in no particular order: people who underestimate him; eating out all the time; family tensions
Drink of choice: craft beer or red wine
Favorite food: his mom’s pumpkin pie
Favorite song: What My World Spins Around by Jordan Davis
Choice of transportation: SUV
Favorite way to spend an evening: in front of a cosy fire with Sarah
Favorite holiday tradition: pickup football game on Thanksgiving followed by dinner with his family
Best memory to date: Tough one. A tie between his first ever kiss with Sarah, and the first time his football team won the Superbowl
If you could have a do-over, what would you do differently?
“I wouldn’t have left town to start my football career without making sure Sarah and I were solid, with a definite plan for the future.”
What’s something you’ve said you would never do, but in fact have done?
“I told Sarah I wouldn’t leave her behind, that I would come back for her when I was established. But I didn’t. I got caught up in the excitement of my new life and let our relationship slide. Biggest mistake of my life.”
Most romantic gesture (done or received): “Sarah might not see it as romantic, but out of the deepest, truest love for her, I donated sperm so she could have the baby and the family she so badly wanted. It really hurt that she was having a child with my brother and not me, but more than anything, I wanted her to be happy.”
Words to live by: Visualize what you want in life and then go after it. Live the life you have imagined.
Sarah, folder tucked under her arm and carrying two coffees, nudged open Daniel’s office door. “Knock, knock.”
“Come in, take a seat.” Daniel cleared a space on his desk and pulled over a fresh pad of paper. “Let’s start by coming up with a game plan.”
“Game plan?” She handed him a coffee and sat opposite; one eyebrow raised at the sporting metaphor. “I hope this doesn’t involve me getting tackled.”
“We’re on the same team,” he said easily. “No tackling involved.”
“Of course.” A faint warmth crept into her cheeks. She hadn’t been thinking about his hands on her body, not at all. Their days of being high school sweethearts were long behind them. Now he was her boss, and she had to keep things on a professional footing. But it wasn’t her fault he still had ridiculously wide shoulders, barely tamed hair a dozen shades of blond, and dazzling blue-green eyes.
“Sarah?” he began.
She blinked. Focus. “Um, just a second.”
Daniel waited while she busied herself opening her folder and searching her purse for a pen.
Finally she looked up. “Okay, shoot.”
“Before we begin.…”
“Yes?” She took a calming sip of coffee.
“I’ve been thinking….”
“Uh-oh. That sounds ominous,” she said humorously.
“We should get married.”
Sarah choked, spluttering hot liquid.
“Are you okay?” Daniel handed her one of the napkins that had come with the coffee.
“For crying out loud, Daniel. Why would you come up with something so crazy, especially now?” she said, mopping at her blouse. “We need to organize the grand opening. We’ve only got a few weeks left.”
“We’ll get to that, but this is more important,” he said. “Jeff knows me already, and you and I—”
“You and I, nothing,” she said flatly.
“Jeff needs a father.”
“His name is Jeffy,” she stressed, not because she cared that much about the name, but she needed to push back. “I’m not marrying just so he has a father. We’re fine on our own.”
“I know you are, but—”
“No buts!” You and I get along. Not a single word about love or affection. Not that she wanted him to say he loved her. It had been fifteen years since they’d been together. “Here I was convincing myself that us working together wouldn’t be awkward.”
“I apologize if I made you uncomfortable,” Daniel said. “It isn’t my intention to pressure you. Or to say, or do, anything unprofessional.”
“You don’t think proposing marriage to your new manager on her first day of work isn’t unprofessional?” she demanded.
He acknowledged the barb with a sheepish shrug.
“Okay, never mind,” she said, taking a breath. “Let’s just forget this ever happened.”
Although forgetting would be a lot easier if images of married weren’t now flashing through her brain. The two of them around the breakfast table in the morning, by the fireside at night, in bed together…
Nope, not going there. She stole a glance at him. Was he? Was his proposal only about being a father to Jeffy, or could it be partly about him wanting to renew their relationship? Had she only imagined the heat she thought she saw in his gaze at times? But no, there was too much water under the bridge for them to ever go back to those simpler times.
“I can’t forget,” Daniel said, leaning forward. “I can’t pretend that we don’t share a past, or that we have a personal connection in the present.”
Their son. The strongest bond a couple could have. But she’d had that bond with his brother, Len, and look how that had worked out.
“Marriage is out of the question. There’s nothing to talk about.” She glanced out the still open door to the corridor where she could hear workmen moving around as they put the final touches on the resort. “Especially here. This is my workplace. There are people around.”
He opened his mouth to say something else.
She shot him a warning glance. “Okay?”
“Okay.” He held up a hand in surrender.
Something in his eyes told her this wasn’t the last she was going to hear about it.
“Come in, take a seat.” Daniel cleared a space on his desk and pulled over a fresh pad of paper. “Let’s start by coming up with a game plan.”
“Game plan?” She handed him a coffee and sat opposite; one eyebrow raised at the sporting metaphor. “I hope this doesn’t involve me getting tackled.”
“We’re on the same team,” he said easily. “No tackling involved.”
“Of course.” A faint warmth crept into her cheeks. She hadn’t been thinking about his hands on her body, not at all. Their days of being high school sweethearts were long behind them. Now he was her boss, and she had to keep things on a professional footing. But it wasn’t her fault he still had ridiculously wide shoulders, barely tamed hair a dozen shades of blond, and dazzling blue-green eyes.
“Sarah?” he began.
She blinked. Focus. “Um, just a second.”
Daniel waited while she busied herself opening her folder and searching her purse for a pen.
Finally she looked up. “Okay, shoot.”
“Before we begin.…”
“Yes?” She took a calming sip of coffee.
“I’ve been thinking….”
“Uh-oh. That sounds ominous,” she said humorously.
“We should get married.”
Sarah choked, spluttering hot liquid.
“Are you okay?” Daniel handed her one of the napkins that had come with the coffee.
“For crying out loud, Daniel. Why would you come up with something so crazy, especially now?” she said, mopping at her blouse. “We need to organize the grand opening. We’ve only got a few weeks left.”
“We’ll get to that, but this is more important,” he said. “Jeff knows me already, and you and I—”
“You and I, nothing,” she said flatly.
“Jeff needs a father.”
“His name is Jeffy,” she stressed, not because she cared that much about the name, but she needed to push back. “I’m not marrying just so he has a father. We’re fine on our own.”
“I know you are, but—”
“No buts!” You and I get along. Not a single word about love or affection. Not that she wanted him to say he loved her. It had been fifteen years since they’d been together. “Here I was convincing myself that us working together wouldn’t be awkward.”
“I apologize if I made you uncomfortable,” Daniel said. “It isn’t my intention to pressure you. Or to say, or do, anything unprofessional.”
“You don’t think proposing marriage to your new manager on her first day of work isn’t unprofessional?” she demanded.
He acknowledged the barb with a sheepish shrug.
“Okay, never mind,” she said, taking a breath. “Let’s just forget this ever happened.”
Although forgetting would be a lot easier if images of married weren’t now flashing through her brain. The two of them around the breakfast table in the morning, by the fireside at night, in bed together…
Nope, not going there. She stole a glance at him. Was he? Was his proposal only about being a father to Jeffy, or could it be partly about him wanting to renew their relationship? Had she only imagined the heat she thought she saw in his gaze at times? But no, there was too much water under the bridge for them to ever go back to those simpler times.
“I can’t forget,” Daniel said, leaning forward. “I can’t pretend that we don’t share a past, or that we have a personal connection in the present.”
Their son. The strongest bond a couple could have. But she’d had that bond with his brother, Len, and look how that had worked out.
“Marriage is out of the question. There’s nothing to talk about.” She glanced out the still open door to the corridor where she could hear workmen moving around as they put the final touches on the resort. “Especially here. This is my workplace. There are people around.”
He opened his mouth to say something else.
She shot him a warning glance. “Okay?”
“Okay.” He held up a hand in surrender.
Something in his eyes told her this wasn’t the last she was going to hear about it.
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The Sweetheart, Montana Series:
I live in Melbourne, Australia, with my retired, jack-of-all-trades husband, a bonkers (but adorable) Jack Russell terrier named Sparky. Our three wonderful children have all grown up and flown the nest but we get together for regular family lunches.
I love travel, yoga, walking Sparky, baking bread, gardening, swimming in the ocean, wine, chocolate, and reading - not necessarily in that order.
Before I became a writer I was a marine biologist. My scuba diving days are over but I still love to potter around the intertidal zone. I’m a long time member of Toastmasters. I joined to overcome my fear of public speaking and stayed for fifteen years because I made some great friends and because seemingly ordinary people tell the most fascinating stories about their lives.
I’ve written a bunch of books and won the odd award.
Places to find Joan Kilby:
Getting together with my family and having a great meal and just talking.
ReplyDeleteThe christmas movies are starting to come out
ReplyDeletestuffing. and family.
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