Return to Sweet Home, Texas!
High school administrator,
Sparrow Walker, has just moved to Sweet Home into a rental house closer
to the school. The Hearth family eagerly welcomes her to town. But the
eldest son - workaholic and heart shy Gabriel Hearth - isn't too pleased
about having his son's pushy principal living next door.
Sparrow's concerned
determination could prove to be Gabriel's saving grace. If only she can
convince him to go along with her plan. Proud and private Gabriel isn't
exactly willing, so she decides to turn the tables - using her behavior
management tactics on him! With her program in place, this time for the
parent instead of the student, it's up to Gabriel to make the next move
and risk falling in love again. If he can't, he just might lose the one
woman strong enough to love a man like him.
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EXCERPT
Copyright 2014 © Jayna Morrow
“Stop
behaving like a fool. This is not how a grown man acts. I’m done with
this conversation. We can continue this later when you’ve calmed down.
In the meantime, send all the wedding bills to my office. My assistant
will take care of everything.”
She stormed off to the house.
Gabriel took a deep breath to calm down. A
giant swan fountain filled with dead leaves stood in the center of the
circle drive. The bushes, once shaped into various geometric and animal
designs, were now bare and trimmed back. A giant silver wreath with
glittering snowflakes adorned the front door. Too gaudy for his taste.
Much like their winter wonderland wedding and everything else Lyra had
planned for his life, it wasn’t his style.
He still refused to shed a single tear. Only leaves fell, not tears.
He blinked away the insistent moisture in
his eyes and shook his head. He hated himself for getting emotional, but
he was starting to feel the full weight of rejection.
He
grabbed the tailgate with both hands to keep from following her into
the house. The cold metal calmed the threat of tears and restored a bit
of balance to his emotions.
For
all his good qualities, she still didn’t want him. That’s what it
boiled down to—she didn’t want his lifestyle. His son Slade’s mother had
been the same way. Of course, they’d both been too young in that
relationship, but she’d also had big aspirations that didn’t involve
Sweet Home.
He walked around the side of his truck and
pulled open the door. A few leaves stuck to his front window, and he
brushed them off. The driveway was littered with them. He felt dried up
and fallen too. Lyra had blown his heart around like leaves in the wind.
What was he going to tell everyone? What would they all think? All he’d
ever wanted was to marry someone he loved, someone who loved him back
equally.
He’d gone and blown it again.
Why
couldn’t she see that they were perfect for each other? He was a
workaholic. She made time for fun. He lacked sophistication. She was all
too willing to polish him to a perfect shine. He had a tendency to take
too much control. She knew how to finagle the reins from his calloused
hands.
No, this was not right. There was more to
her decision than she was willing to admit. She’d change her mind. She’d
miss him. There was a side of her that liked to roll in the mud and
come up laughing. Though she’d never admit it, she liked quiet moments
rocking on the porch and counting stars. Without him, her life would be
completely scheduled and routine.
They were supposed to be celebrating their
marriage and a baby on the way right now. He had to handle this
situation very carefully so he didn’t burn any bridges.
Instead of getting angry like everyone would
expect, and flying off the handle, he’d maintain his composure. The
business he owned and operated was the largest employer in Sweet Home.
He couldn’t always be the good guy. He’d hardened over the years and
people expected his gruff nature and business-is-business attitude.
Lyra wasn’t an employee and this wasn’t a
business problem. If he had any chance of winning her back, he’d have to
learn to separate business from personal matters. And keep his mouth
shut.
Not wanting to stay here another minute, he
hopped in the truck and shut the door, suddenly wanting to get home. His
cell phone beeped its programmed “message waiting” tone. Most likely
family or friends wanting to root in his business. This was only the
first of many such calls he’d be receiving.
Sighing, he pressed and held down the number
one key that automatically sent him to his voicemail box. Then he put
his truck in gear and headed in the direction of Sweet Home, trying to
ignore the painful throb of his heart.
The first message began to play, and he
swallowed hard upon hearing the sultry voice of Sparrow Walker—a woman
he tried to avoid at all cost.
The
thrum of her voice said nothing of the person attached to it. Miss
Walker was five and a half feet of bulldog and she regarded him like one
of his milk trucks, always chasing him down for one reason or another.
He pulled the phone away from his ear as she made her lengthy
introduction and threw his head back. As if he didn’t know who she was.
“Mr.
Hearth, I’m calling about Slade. He’s climbed the elementary school
fence with some buddies, not our students, and is playing on the
playground equipment. I received a complaint from concerned parents that
they are being loud. While we do allow public use of the grounds, it is
in our policy that everything closes at dark and the gates are locked. I
heard you were getting married today, and I don’t mean to disturb you,
but I need you to come over to the school and remove your son and his
friends from school property. Thank you.”
The overly sweet and high-pitched thank you
at the end settled like vinegar in his stomach. Sparrow Walker was the
young principal at Sweet Home High School where Slade attended tenth
grade, but the boy hadn’t exactly been a model student lately. Given all
the calls Gabe had received from Miss Walker about his son, he was
pretty sure the annoying woman had him on speed dial.
The
last time Gabe had run into her, she’d treated him like one of her
naughty students. She kept her brow furrowed and tapped the desk with a
fingernail several times. Most people in town wouldn’t dare take him on
like that, but Miss Walker hadn’t seemed the least bit scared of him.
Still, he couldn’t help but find her amusing.
But
the more he dealt with her, the less amusing she became. What he’d
thought were a few minor disruptions at school had turned into a
full-blown case of teen rebellion on Slade’s part. And while Miss Walker
probably thought she was being helpful, she was only contributing to
the problem. Slade continued on his destructive path. No one could
control the boy, even though his principal seemed to think Gabe
possessed magical powers that would enable him to do so. There’d been no
improvement this school year either. In fact, things had gotten worse.
Remove Slade from school property?
“Yeah, I’ll get right on it,” he mumbled out loud.
Could this day get any worse?
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Texas romance author, Jayna
Morrow, has been creating imaginary worlds since a young age. As an
elementary school teacher, Jayna juggles the demands of molding young
minds, raising two precious daughters, and spending time with her
husband/best friend... while making time for passion of writing romance
novels. Read more about her at www.jaynamorrow.com.
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