When Summer Comes
One day, Callie Vanetta receives devastating news…
She needs a liver transplant. But her doctors warn that, in her case, the chances of finding a compatible donor aren’t good.
Determined to spend whatever time she has left on her own terms, she keeps the diagnosis to herself and moves out to her late grandparents’ farm. She’s always wanted to live there. But the farm hasn’t been worked in years and she begins to fear she can’t manage it, that she’ll have to return to town.
One night, a stranger comes knocking at her door…
He’s an attractive and mysterious drifter by the name of Levi McCloud, and he offers to trade work for a few nights’ shelter. Callie figures she doesn’t have anything to lose. He needs a place to stay until he can fix his motorcycle; she needs an extra pair of hands. The arrangement seems ideal until what was supposed to be temporary starts to look more and more permanent. Then she realizes she does have something to lose—her heart. And, although he doesn’t yet know it, Levi stands to lose even more.
Praise for
New York Times
bestselling author Brenda Novak
The characters’ “heartwarming romance develops slowly
and sweetly. The sex is fantastic, but the best part is
how Simon and Gail tease and laugh as they grow closer.”
—
Publishers Weekly
on
When Lightning Strikes
“Novak delivers a lively, sparkling series debut…
romantic gold by a superior novelist. The love story blossoms naturally, which is rare nowadays.…
Additionally, by populating Whiskey Creek with
realistic characters—instead of ‘quirky’ caricatures—
Novak ensures that readers will eagerly await their next visit.”
—
RT Book Reviews
on
When Lightning Strikes
“Whenever I see a new Brenda Novak book, I buy it and read it, pronto. I can always count on her for a solid, exciting story, full of adventure and romance.”
—Linda Lael Miller, #1
New York Times
bestselling author
“Any book by Brenda Novak is a must-buy for me.”
—
Reader to Reader Reviews
“Brenda Novak’s seamless plotting,
emotional intensity and true-to-life characters
who jump off the page make her books completely satisfying. Novak is simply a great storyteller.”
—Allison Brennan,
New York Times
bestselling author
“I suggest Brenda Novak be added to your ‘to buy’ list today. You won’t be disappointed.”
—
Romance Reader’s Connection
“
In Close
is intense and sensual and chock-full of
emotional torment. The array of transgressions and suspects and small-town secrets makes for a riveting read.”
—
USA TODAY
“Novak is an expert at creating emotionally driven romances full of heat, sensual tension and conflict that not only
satisfy her characters but her readers as well.”
—
Writers Unlimited
Also by Brenda Novak
WHEN SNOW FALLS
WHEN LIGHTNING STRIKES
IN CLOSE
IN SECONDS
INSIDE
KILLER HEAT
BODY HEAT
WHITE HEAT
THE PERFECT MURDER
THE PERFECT LIAR
THE PERFECT COUPLE
WATCH ME
STOP ME
TRUST ME
DEAD RIGHT
DEAD GIVEAWAY
DEAD SILENCE
COLD FEET
TAKING THE HEAT
EVERY WAKING MOMENT
WHEN SNOW FALLS
To Danita Moon. Your kindness, generosity and support have made such an impact on my life. Thank you for diving in and helping to make my annual online auction for diabetes research such a success. Here’s to hitting that $2 million mark next year. Thanks, too, for your enthusiasm for my books. Your willing heart and capable hands have made my load so much lighter.
Dear Reader,
Welcome back to Whiskey Creek! This series has been fun for me to write. I love the group of friends these stories are based on. Truth be told, I’m a little jealous of them. I wish I’d been able to keep my high school friends a bit closer, but I moved the day after graduation and have never gone back, at least for any length of time. That’s caused quite a bit of drifting in those relationships, which is too bad. There’s definitely something special about knowing someone for so long and sharing so much.
This story was inspired by a friend of mine from college who was diagnosed with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease ten years ago. She was a wife and mother in the prime of her life and, being Mormon, never drank. I remember being so surprised that her only hope for life was a liver transplant. It seemed far too incongruous with how healthy she’d always been. But I’m happy to report that she received the transplant she needed. It’s now a decade later and she’s just as beautiful and energetic as she ever was. I saw her when I was visiting Utah recently and felt so gratified to see her thriving. Then I learned that another friend of mine (this one here in California) was recently diagnosed with the same thing. My California friend is currently on the national donor list, hoping and praying that a liver becomes available—and I’m hoping and praying right along with her.
In case you’re not aware, there have been two other novels published in this series—
When Lightning Strikes
(released 9/12) and
When Snow Falls
(11/12). There’s even a 150-page novella that kicks off the series (
When We Touch
). Information about these and my other titles can be found on my website, BrendaNovak.com. There, you can also enter to win my monthly drawings, sign up for my newsletter, contact me with comments or questions and join my fight to find a cure for diabetes. My youngest son suffers from this disease. So far, thanks to my generous supporters, my annual online auctions (held every May at BrendaNovak.com) have raised a cumulative total of $1.6 million.
Here’s to your health and happiness!
Brenda Novak
Contents
1
T
he barking of her dog dragged Callie Vanetta from a deep sleep.
Rifle, the German shepherd her parents had given her for Christmas, was only two years old, but he was the smartest animal she’d ever known, certainly savvy enough not to make a racket in the middle of the night without reason. Despite all the critters that scurried around the place after dark, he hadn’t awakened her like this once in the three months since she’d moved to the farm.
So if he thought she had something to worry about, there was a good chance she did.
Despite the warm June night, chills rolled through Callie’s body as she lay on her back, blinking against the darkness. She’d always felt so safe in her grandparents’ home. They’d passed away five years ago, but the comfort of their love and the memories created here lingered on. Sometimes, when she closed her eyes, she could almost feel their presence.
But not tonight. Fear eclipsed all other emotions, and she wondered what she’d been thinking when she gave up the small apartment above her photography studio downtown. She was out in the middle of nowhere, her closest neighbor over a mile down the road, with her dog sounding an alarm and scratching at the front door as if some menace lay beyond it.
“Rifle?” She whispered his name as loudly as she dared. “Hey!” she added, making kissing sounds.
He charged into her room, but he wasn’t about to settle down. He circled in place, whining to let her know he didn’t like something he heard outside. Then he darted back to the front door, singularly determined to show her where the trouble was.
She thought he might try to rouse her again. He obviously hoped to get her out of bed. But she was so frightened and undecided about what to do she couldn’t move. Especially when he quit barking and emitted a deep, threatening growl—one that told her he’d laid back his ears and bared his teeth.
The hair rose on Callie’s arms. Her dog meant business. She’d never seen him like this. What had him so upset? And what should she do about it? She’d watched too many true-crime shows not to realize what could happen. But, given her health, getting murdered would be too ironic. Surely, this couldn’t be leading
there.
She’d just decided to call the police when a heavy knock sounded and a male voice carried into the house.
“Hello? Anyone home? Sorry to wake you, but...could a man come out here, please? I need some help.”
A
man?
Whoever was at her door wasn’t from Whiskey Creek. Her family had lived in the area for generations. Everyone knew that this was the Vanetta farm, that the aging Theona and Herbert had died within months of each other and she was living here alone.
“Hello?” the man called again. “Please, someone answer me!”
Should she respond? Letting him hear her voice would tell him she was a woman, which didn’t seem smart. But she had her dog to defend her. And she had a pellet gun she used to scare off skunks and raccoons and any other animals that might have rabies or get aggressive.
Problem was she couldn’t remember where she’d put it. The screened-in porch that overlooked the outbuildings in back? The mudroom off the kitchen? She might even have left it in the barn. Until now, she hadn’t felt any need for self-defense. All the wildlife she’d encountered seemed more afraid of her.
Still, she should’ve kept that gun close. What good was it otherwise? She wasn’t going to scare anyone away with her camera.
