Saddle weary, a former deputy US Marshal rides into Denton, Texas. He’d hunted a swindler and his daughter—or identical twin daughters if he's is right—and he feels he finally has caught up with this criminal gang. Unfortunately, He is immediately distracted by a lovely redhead who crosses his path.
Here's an excerpt:
Esther Brians put the finishing touches on her upswept, Gibson Girl hairstyle when Allen knocked on the door of her apartment. She shoved one last hairpin into her hair to anchor it before she answered the door.
“I’m coming.”
Thick carpet muffled her footsteps as she crossed the parlor. She opened the
door and hugged her brother. “Why didn’t you just use your key?”
Allen returned
her hug, then stood back. “I only kept the key because you insisted. It’s a
good idea for me to check on things for you when you’re out at the farm, since
you’re living here alone. But I won’t use it for any other reason. You deserve
your privacy.” He glanced around the room that had been Marie’s home before she
and Allen married. He had spent a lot of time here visiting with his sister and
later courting Marie. “I like what you’ve done with the place. It really
expresses your personality.”
“Thank you, kind
sir.” Esther gave a low curtsey. She and her brother had enjoyed a playful
relationship all their lives.
“Are you ready?”
Allen picked up her jacket from the claret-colored velvet settee. After helping
her into the wrap, he opened the door, and they proceeded down the stairs into
the warm, August twilight.
Esther placed her
hand in the crook of his arm as they walked across the street to the hotel. “It
was really nice of Marie to offer to keep Gerald and Linda’s children so we
could take them out to dinner for their anniversary.”
“She loves those
two little ones. And I do, too. They come over to our house a lot, since we
live so close.”
When they entered
the lobby of the hotel, Esther glanced around. She didn’t come here often, but
she always liked the friendly, yet elegant, atmosphere. The gaslights around
the walls gave a warm glow to the plush carpeting and matching wallpaper.
Esther liked that they used a lot of potted plants in the decor. It enhanced
the sense of opulence ... and freshness. When she came to the hotel, it made
her feel that Denton was as cosmopolitan as Chicago or even New York City.
A man descending
the wide staircase that dominated the room drew Esther’s attention. He stood
taller than any other man she had ever seen. Although his body looked lean,
muscles rippled under his shirt and slacks. His dark, clean-shaven face sported
a neat mustache. He must have spent a lot of time in the sun, and the tan
looked good on him. Much of his forehead appeared lighter than the rest of his
face, evidence he wore a Stetson most of the time. The fine lines fanning out
from the corner of each eye revealed that he squinted against the blazing sun,
and they only enhanced his good looks.
He wasn’t dressed
like a cowboy, but as he walked down the stairs, he had the bowlegged gait of a
man who spent most of his life on the back of a horse. His luxuriously thick,
dark hair looked wet. It was slicked back, but separate locks were pulling into
strong waves as they dried.
For some
unexplainable reason, Esther felt drawn to him. Her fingers tingled with the
desire to brush back an errant curl that had drooped over his strong forehead.
She had never felt this way about any man.
For a moment, she
held her breath in wonder. His most arresting feature, his eyes, shone a clear,
icy blue. When his gaze met hers, something passed between them, a feeling both
exciting … and disturbing. As if they were connected somehow. Uncomfortable,
Esther quickly looked away.
What in the world is
wrong with me? Maybe it was because all her close friends had husbands, and
she wanted one, too. Why did some stranger affect her this way? Esther felt
relieved when Gerald and Linda arrived at that moment, and the four of them
went into the dining room. She tried to dismiss the man from her thoughts as
she followed her brothers and sister-in-law to their table.
~~~~~
When they were
seated at a table in the dining room, Esther decided to forget what had
happened in the hotel lobby and concentrate on her brothers and sister-in-law.
“Well, Linda, I guess it’s nice for you to go out without the children.”
Linda smiled at
her. “Oh yes, it’s a real treat. It was good of you and Allen to plan this
little celebration.”
“Actually, it was
Marie’s idea.” Allen picked up his linen napkin and spread it across his lap.
“Why didn’t she
come with us?” Linda smiled at her.
Esther laughed.
“You mean besides the fact that she’s keeping your children for you?” Linda
nodded. “I offered to keep them at the apartment, but Marie thought it would be
special for Gerald’s brother and sister to take the two of you out.”
Allen picked up
his fork and absently turned it over and over in his hands as if checking its
weight. “She really likes having Olivia and Stephen at the house.” He put the
fork down and cleared his throat. “She’s hoping we’ll have a little one
ourselves pretty soon. I told her it has only been a few months since we
married, and I enjoy our time together, but I’m eager for our own children,
too.”
Gerald patted his
wife’s hand. “Well, we have an announcement to make, and you two are the first
to hear it.”
Linda blushed and
looked down at the table in front of her. “We are going to have another baby.”
Esther got up,
hurried around the table, and hugged her. “I’m so happy for you.” When she
passed Gerald on the way back to her chair, she hugged him, too. “And I’m happy
for you, big brother.”
The waitress came
to their table. “What are we all having tonight?”
“This calls for
steaks.” Allen looked at each of them in turn. “Unless you want something else.
We have a lot to celebrate.”
When the waitress
left, conversation flowed around the table, but Esther’s attention was divided.
That cowboy sat
across the room. She could see him when she turned to talk to Allen. He seemed
to be enjoying his food, but once in a while, she felt his gaze on her. Why did
he do that? It made her very uncomfortable. Even though she enjoyed having this
time with her relatives, she couldn’t forget the man or the impression he made
on her when they stood in the lobby.
Esther knew it
didn’t make any sense. She felt drawn to him, even here in the dining room. She
noticed when his coffee arrived. While he ate his roast beef and hot rolls, she
looked at him from time to time. He had perfect table manners, not like most of
the cowboys she had seen in the past. She didn’t want him to catch her
watching, so she peeked at him out of the corner of her eyes to make sure it
wasn’t when he was looking at her.
She was acting
like a desperate old maid. Just because everyone else was married, it didn’t
mean anything was wrong with her life, did it? Her business was successful, and
she had a comfortable home, good friends, and a family who loved her.
But they weren’t a
husband and children. She felt that deep longing she’d harbored since she
became an adult. She wanted to be loved by a man the way her father loved her
mother. The way Gerald loved Linda. The way Allen loved Marie. The way Marie’s
brothers Oliver and Leonard loved their wives. She wanted a home of her own,
not just an apartment above a store … and she wanted children. To feel their
arms around her neck. To have them call her, Mother.
Oh yes, Esther
wanted all those things more than she could tell anyone. But that cowboy across
the dining room wasn’t the man to give them to her.
The ebook is up on Amazon for pre-order.
I’m planning for
the print copy to release at the same time as the ebook.
Leave a comment for a chance to win a free copy any one of my previous books you've been wanting, as long as I have any left in my collection at home. I will give you a chance to choose another.
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http://ow.ly/dhif30lrdGU
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15 comments:
This book does look good! (And I'd love to be entered for a chance to win one of your books! 😊)
Elly -Indiana-
"ESTHER'S TEMPTATION sounds wonderful.Have a good week. Thank you for the opportunity to win.PA.
This sounds like a wonderful read! Thanks for this chance! I am from Ohio.
Recently read The God Digger which I thoroughly enjoyed. Great Book! Vivian Furbay of CO
Good story line for the book. Lincoln Nebraska.
The idea for Thanksgiving Books and Blessing series sounds amazing and I'm sure each and every book will be a joy to read.
Your book "ESTHER'S TEMPTATION" for sure sounds amazing and one I know I would greatly enjoy after reading excerpt.
Thank you for the chance to win one of your books! They are always such a joy to read.
Kay Garrett from Mountain View, AR
2clowns at arkansas dot net
This story looks really good! I wonder what happens to introduce Esther and the Cowboy! I love stories about family.
I’m from Missouri. Thanks for the chance to win. paulams49ATsbcglobalDOTnet
Congratulations on your new novel, Lena! Please enter me in the drawing.
Beth Ann Ziarnik from Oshkosh, WI
bethz(at)new(dot)rr(dot)com
This looks so good. I love the cover! Can't wait to read it!
Abigail in VA
I like the idea of a Thanksgiving book series. Thank you for the excerpt. It sounds very good. I am from Texas, can somebody please turn down the heat?
perrianne (DOT askew (AT) me (DOT) com
Perrianne Askew
Lena, your story sounds lovely and I like the Thanksgiving series. Thanks for sharing.
Blessings!
Connie from Kentucky
cps1950(at)gmail(dot)com
The book sounds interesting. Thanksgiving is one of my favorite days, so I'm glad there's a series of books about this often overlooked holiday. I love the cover!
Connie in Texas
rycon70@att.net
Congrats on the new book release!
Dianna (TN)
Enter me in your awesome giveaway!!
Conway SC.
sounds like a great book! Shelia from MS
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