Coming Soon From The Wild Rose Press

Roses for Rachel

Young widow Rachel Santos raises her daughters alone and tries to get past the pain of losing her cheating husband. Attracted to pretty boys, she goes from one bad relationship to another. When she dumps her cheating boyfriend, someone vandalizes her house. Rachel confides in faithful Elliot Truman, but refuses to trust her heart to another man. Determined to handle her problems alone, she refuses to see him as anything but a friend.

The stalker breaks into her home, and Rachel fears for the safety of her daughters and herself. When her work is sabotaged , she loses her job and cannot pay the rent. Will she be able to support and protect her children? Who can stop this demented stalker? And will Rachel ever be convinced that some men are worth loving?

Excerpt

Rachel couldn’t help noticing how Elliot calmed her upset daughters. When he looked up, his impish grin appeared almost sexy.

Scary how he was affecting her. It’d been far too long since she’d been with an attentive man. His unsettling closeness created a knot in her stomach.

“You’ve got your hands full, don’t you?” He took her lunch and sweater and placed them in back of his shiny red Mustang with the girls’ things.

“You could say that.” He had no idea.

He helped her into the car and closed the door. No man had ever done that for her. Except her dad.

Determined not to lead him on, she strengthened her resolve to maintain a strictly business relationship. He was a coworker doing her a favor, that’s all.

But he sure had a way with kids. More miraculous than Amelia’s transformation was Jessica’s non-stop smile. He jumped in the driver’s side. With a turn of the key, the engine roared.

“Hang on, girls!” he said in a cheerful voice. “We’re off to get the booster seat, so no more tears!”

Amelia dragged an arm across her runny nose. Rachel cringed, found a tissue in her purse, and wiped the arm clean.

Jessica’s face glowed as she tugged her mother’s sleeve. “Mommy, Elliot’s car is cool!”

“He’s Mr. Truman to you, young lady,” Rachel corrected. Jess was too young to be swayed by material trappings and Rachel couldn’t afford them. But there was more to it than the Mustang. Why was Jess so agreeable with Elliot, and so difficult with her? That was as intriguing as it was downright annoying.

She glanced at the child psychologist next to her. A smile tugged at his full lips. Nice hands deftly gripped the gearshift. He shifted smoothly, going exactly the speed limit.

What was going on with her? Elliot was a coworker! She didn’t want to see him that way. She didn’t need a man, and he wasn’t her type. As he turned a corner, his black-rimmed glasses slid down his nose.

“I saw this car in the company parking lot,” she said. “I never imagined it was yours.”

 “There’s a lot you don’t know about me.” He pushed up his glasses and smiled.

“A real mystery man, eh?” Rachel teased. “From the looks of this car, there’s a side of you I don’t know at all.”

 “You have no idea,” he said under his breath.

There was more to Elliot Truman than she thought. Maybe he had an alter ego, sexy and good looking with just a hint of confident attitude – like Clark Kent and Superman.

What on earth was she thinking?