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(Book 3) of the series "Belanger Creek Ranch"
Tim glared at Christina. "I guess I get the floor."
"Quit being an ass and get a grip on yourself. There is no need for anyone to sleep on the floor. I'm sure we are mature enough to make the best of this rotten situation. I'm not going freak out if your leg touches mine. It's not as if either of us is interested in anything other than sleep and keeping warm."
He stared at her. "Are you suggesting we share the bed?"
Thirty-eight-year-old Christina Holmes is the office manager at Swift Current Accounting and Bookkeeping Services. On the surface, she is a happy person that everyone likes, but in her heart, she carries pain. She has MRHK syndrome. Her marriage had deteriorated because of the rare congenital condition, and it ended in humiliation for her. The experience is a secret that Christina has not shared with anyone since she came to Swift Current. She has avoided intimate relationships, feeling less than a woman, and ashamed of the hand that nature dealt her. She has allowed her condition to define her, making her certain that no one will love her as she is.
Forty-eight-year-old Tim Bates came to Swift Current four years ago, when Colt Thompson hired him to manage Cantaur Farm. Forsaken by his stepfamily, Tim was reeling from a contested family will, and an ugly divorce filed by his wife who had never truly loved him. He was bitter and angry, trusted no one and despised women.
When he first arrived, Christina thought of Tim as a cold fish, and Tim saw Christina as an officious bitch. However, during the past four years the two of them have developed a comfortable relationship: but it isn't the kind that comes with intimacy, or fringe benefits.
When Tim Bates finds a picture on the old ranch hand's desk at Belanger Creek Ranch, he is stunned. He reacts with suspicion that turns into feelings of betrayal and anger. The picture becomes the focus of a mystery that involves people at the ranch: people who have been friends for years. The answers could forever change the lives of those involved.
Tim discovers that what he has always believed about his birth is not true. Shaken, he turns to Christina for friendship and support.
Sometimes The Hand of Fate intervenes. Will it bring unexpected miracles into the lives of these two friends?
This is a story of family ties, unconditional love, loyalty, powerful friendships, sacrifice, mystery and the realization of dreams that seem impossible.
This can be read as a stand-alone book in the Belanger Creek Ranch Series. The lives of Colt and Frank Thompson (The Second Time Around, Book One) and Shauna Lee and Brad Johnson (Full Circle, Book Two) intertwine with those of Tim Bates and Christina Holmes in this work of fiction.
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Download a free 3 chapter teaser
Get book 4 at your favorite store
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Amazon.co.uk
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(Book 4) of the series "Belanger Creek Ranch"
"No!" Taylor's cry was a wail, "I don't want to move again,,,,,,,,
"Taylor, I'm your mother, You'll listen to me."
Taylor's look became set and stubborn. "I am not moving again and,,, I'm not leaving Grayson. You're wrong about him. I know it!"
When Sarah Brite arrives at Belanger Creek Ranch, it's like a sanctuary from her troubles, even though she can never totally relax. She is always looking over her shoulder-alert and waiting to run. The ranch is a vast rural area, a place where it doesn't seem likely that her son's violent father would find them. The ranch 'family' is a close knit group consisting of co-workers and the owners, Colt and Frank Thompson. They all look out for each other. There's only one thing that makes Sarah uneasy... that's gentle, friendly Grayson McNaughton. Her son, Taylor, immediately bonds with Grayson. This disquiets Sarah, Grayson is a nice enough man, but Taylor makes it increasingly clear that he would love it if they became a family.
Sarah decides to share her dark secret with Grayson so he will understand why he can never be Taylor's father. He is filled with compassion and insists she share her fears with the Thompsons, who stand staunchly behind her. Sarah relaxes, and begins to want to make Taylor's wish a reality.
However, Grayson McNaughton has a secret of his own; he had destroyed a man's life, and he was charged but not convicted of aggravated assault, eight years before he came to the ranch. Burdened with deep-seated guilt, he chooses to live in obscurity and hideaway in pain. He loves Sarah, and as they gradually grow closer, he knows he has to be honest with her, so even though it may jeopardize their relationship, he shares his painful past.
Sarah is devastated; furious that she has let him get close to her son. Even though she does not have all of the facts, she immediately labels Grayson as a violent person. She has had enough violence and fear in her life, and she doesn't want to expose Taylor to it. She is ready to pack up and run again, but Taylor is older now and he isn't having it. He loves Grayson and is through with running. He digs in his heels, ready to fight his mother.
Colt Thompson offers a solution to Sarah that will allow everyone to stay at the ranch. Taylor begrudgingly accepts the terms, but Sarah's ultimatums come at a cost... she realizes she is losing her sons affection and respect.
An unexpected tragedy intervenes. Is it too late for Sarah and Grayson to make Taylors world complete? Will they have A Second Chance?
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