Amelia C. Adams has lived many lifetimes, and is
currently enjoying this stretch as the author of sweet and clean Western
romance. She is the author of the Kansas Crossroads series, the Nurses of New
York series, and contributed two books to the American Mail-Order Brides series
- with ideas for many more. You can learn more about her and her books on her website.
Connect with the Author here:
The summer Meredith turned eighteen was filled with romance
and laughter - two young men sought her hand, and she chose the one she thought
would make her the happiest. He certainly was the most handsome, and the
wealthiest, and could offer her the most pleasant life. But that turned out to
be a mistake . . . one she would regret for a very long time.
In a strange twist of fate, now she's being given a chance to
set things right. Will she be able to live down her past, or will her
foolishness keep coming back to haunt her and keep her from ever being happy
with the man she loves?
Snippet:
Luke ate a hearty
meal, but Meredith only picked at hers. The butterflies in her stomach had
turned into lead weights. She could hardly wait until she could excuse herself
from the table. As soon as the dishes were stacked and the water to wash them
was on to boil, she grabbed Luke’s hand and dragged him outside.
“What’s all the
rush?” he asked with a chuckle as soon as they were out of earshot of the
house.
“Don’t you have
any idea how badly I’ve needed to talk to you? You’re my best friend—I need
your advice.”
He leaned on the
fence that surrounded the property and rested his foot on the bottom rail.
“What’s going on?”
Now that the
moment had come, Meredith wasn’t entirely sure where to start. “Well, you
remember Mr. Bingham.”
“Of course. He’s a
hard one to forget. A fancy suit and a lot of bravado.”
“He’s more than
that,” Meredith protested. “He’s smart and attentive, and he’s . . . well, he’s
interested in me.”
Luke turned to
face her. “What do you mean, he’s interested in you?”
Meredith felt heat
coming to her cheeks. “When we were outside on the porch last night, he said .
. . he said he’d like to get to know me better. As in, to get ready for
courtship.”
“But . . .” Luke
shook his head. “I’m not quite sure what to say to that, Meredith. I always
thought . . .”
When he didn’t go
on, Meredith prompted him. “What?”
“I just always
thought that you and I would get married someday.”
Meredith couldn’t
possibly have been more surprised. His words hit her chest like she’d been
kicked by the cow. “Us? Luke, are you crazy?”
“Apparently I am.”
The muscles in his jaw worked, and she could tell that he was struggling not to
say even more.
“I don’t mean to
be harsh. I just never thought of us that way. You’re my best friend, a
brother, someone I can always talk to. I assumed you felt the same way.”
Luke shook his
head again. “Funny how two people can see the same thing in such different
ways. I’m in love with you, Meredith. I have been pretty much since the first
day we met. There was something about you that just spoke to something in me,
and I thought that someday, it would all come together. Maybe I should have
talked to you about it, huh? Made sure we were on the same page?”
Meredith leaned on
the fence and buried her face in her folded arms. This was horrible. This was
absolutely horrible. How much time had Luke wasted on her when he could have
been out with other girls, girls who could return his feelings? She felt sick
inside knowing that she could never give him what he wanted. All they could
ever be was friends, and this conversation might change that too. Everything
would be awkward between them now.
“I’m sorry,
Meredith. Maybe I should have held my tongue.” He touched her back, much the
same as he had so often over the years, but now it held more meaning. “I’m happy
for you—I really am. If Mr. Bingham is the right man for you, I’ll wish you
well.”
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Kate Cambridge is an emerging author of Sweet Historical Romance and Sweet Contemporary Romance. She is a hopeless romantic, strong supporter of women's rights, and loves to create stories that inspire, and characters who seem real long after "The End."
Monica has to leave home, fast. Her parents are planning to
marry her off and although all her friends are marrying, that is definitely not
what she wants. She’s seventeen, an amateur sleuth, and sees no reason why
she can’t join the ranks of the local lawman, or even become a Texas Ranger,
should she choose! 
