A Promise of Forever (30 page)

“Hey, Luce.” He crouched to rub behind the dog’s ears, earning a grunt and a few thumps of tail against cabinet. “You need to go out, buddy?”

Usually, any time was the right time for Norton to sniff the backyard and renew his own scents, but tonight the dog backed away from him and the doorway, not stopping until his butt hit the opposite wall. There he slid down, chin on his paws, and kept a cautious watch on both Joe and Lucy.

“You know his last encounter with ice wasn’t much fun,” Lucy said as she dished up two bowls of stew.

“Not for him, though, as I recall, you got a good laugh from it.” It had been last winter, and Norton had gone bounding out the door, unaware of the two inches of sleet covering everything. When he’d hit it, his feet had slid out from under him and he’d sailed halfway across the yard before an oak tree stopped him. He’d struggled to his feet, peed, and inched his way back to the house, body intact, dignity totally disintegrated.

Joe stripped off his outdoor clothes, tossing them on the kitchen table, then filled two glasses from a pitcher of water with lemon slices floating in it. He carried them to the coffee table, went back for napkins and silverware and a basket filled with thick slices of sweet, yeasty bread. The crust was golden and buttery, dotted with flakes of sea salt and rubbed with roasted garlic. It was in the running for one of his favorite foods ever.

They sat on the floor between the couch and the coffee table, shoulders bumping as they settled. In all the hundreds of meals he’d eaten here, not once had they ever used the kitchen or dining table. On the couch, on the floor, outside on a pretty day…they always chose best-buds comfort over propriety. It was just one of the things he liked about Lucy.

One of too damn many.

He really had to figure out what to do about it.

A Hero to Come Home To

A Man to Hold On To

A Love to Call Her Own

“A Family for Christmas”
in
A Christmas to Remember

“Deeply satisfying…Pappano’s characters are achingly real and flawed, and readers will commiserate with and root for the couple…This deeply moving tale will remind everyone who reads it of the great sacrifices made by those who serve and the families they leave behind.”

—
Publishers Weekly
(starred review)

“A solid, tender plot, well-developed, vulnerable characters and smart, modern banter are the highlights of this heartwarming story.”

—
RT Book Reviews

“4 1/2 stars! Through her beautiful storytelling, Pappano deftly expresses the emotions that come with love and loss. The genuine love that grows between Therese and Keegan melts the heart. Pappano’s latest packs a powerful punch.”

—
RT Book Reviews

“A powerful and welcome return to Tallgrass…Pappano excels at depicting deep emotion…including plenty of humor.”

—
Publishers Weekly
(starred review)

“Pappano shines in this poignant tale of love, loss, and learning to love again…[She] creates achingly real characters whose struggles will bring readers to tears.”

—
Publishers Weekly
(starred review)

“Pappano’s latest is a touching story about loss, love, and acceptance. Tender to the core, her story is filled with heartwarming characters who you can’t help but fall in love with, and she tells their stories candidly and poignantly. The ending will simply melt your heart.”

—
RT Book Reviews

“A wonderful romance with real-life, real-time issues…[Pappano] writes with substance and does an excellent job of bringing the characters to life.”

—
HarlequinJunkie.com

“Poignant and engaging…Authentic details of army life and battle experience will glue readers to the page.”

—
Library Journal

POWER PLAY
by Tiffany Snow

High-powered businessman Parker Andersen wears expensive suits like a second skin and drives a BMW. Detective Dean Ryker’s uniform is leather jackets and jeans…and his ride of choice is a Harley. Sage Reese finds herself caught between two men: the one she’s always wanted—and the one who makes
her
feel wanted like never before…

RIDE STEADY
by Kristen Ashley

Once upon a time, Carissa Teodoro believed in happy endings. But now she’s a struggling single mom and stranded by a flat tire, until a vaguely familiar knight rides to her rescue on a ton of horsepower…Fans of Lori Foster will love the newest novel in Kristen Ashley’s
New York Times
bestselling Chaos series!

SUMMER AT THE SHORE
by V. K. Sykes

Morgan Merrifield sacrificed her teaching career to try to save her family’s bed-and-breakfast and care for her younger sister. So she can’t let herself get distracted by rugged ex–Special Forces soldier Ryan Butler. But her longtime crush soon flares into real desire—and with one irresistible kiss, she’s swept away.

LAST CHANCE HERO
by Hope Ramsay

Sabina knows a lot about playing it safe. But having Ross Gardiner in town brings back the memory of one carefree summer night when she threw caution to the wind—and almost destroyed her family. Now that they are both older and wiser, will the spark still be there, even though they’ve both been burned?

A PROMISE OF FOREVER
by Marilyn Pappano

In the
New York Times
bestselling tradition of Robyn Carr comes the next book in Marilyn Pappano’s Tallgrass series. When Sergeant First Class Avi Grant finally returns from Afghanistan, she rushes to comfort the widow of her commanding officer—and ends up in the arms of her handsome son, Ben Noble.

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