Diabetes in Fiction

When I left Poplar Ridge nine years ago, I never expected to return to my small hometown as a single dad or to fall for a woman who’s completely off limits. Enter Jasmine Hayes. The fiery barrel racer with a smart mouth and hypnotic eyes is my new coworker, my greatest temptation, and… my best friend’s daughter. At twenty-one, she’s far too young for me, but she’s made it clear she doesn’t care about our sixteen year age gap. I doubt her father would feel the same, and since he’s also my boss, getting involved with her is out of the question. Still, she’s determined to break down my walls and steal my heart. I try to keep my distance, but when her dad tasks me with accompanying her to her barrel races, we’re forced to live in close quarters, and my restraint slowly begins to unravel. I try to fight my feelings for her, knowing that if I cross that line, I risk losing my job and my best friend, but some things are inevitable. And some people are worth risking everything for.

If this arranged marriage falls through, we’re going to lose our ranches. Doesn’t matter that our families hate one another and have for generations – they came to terms behind our backs. To save our legacies, I’ll go through with it but the first time I face Colton Korhonen, I state, ‘I want a divorce.’ She’s the wife I didn’t want until I married her. Coming face to face with our small-town’s hatred of her and how her grandmother treats her, triggers every protective bone in my body. Screw business – if marrying her is the only way to keep her safe, I’ll do it. But as I get to know my wife, tell me why I want those rings on her finger to remain there permanently?

Melanie Summers has something to prove! Being a zoologist is her dream and the only thing standing in the way of her going on an African expedition is her father and his fear. So she strikes a deal. She has to spend a full month in the Wyoming wilderness and show her father she can handle being in a remote area while managing her Type 1 diabetes before he’ll agree to fund the expedition to Africa and allow her to go. But her daddy isn’t the only one convinced she’ll fail… But she’s not about to let any man underestimate what she can do. Especially not the sexy rodeo cowboy she’s hired to help get her through the month in the wilderness. Yes, he knows what he’s doing. But so does she! Yes, he’s ruggedly handsome…well, he can’t help that, can he? But no sexy cowboy is going to keep her down! Stoney Buxton needs to raise cash fast to save the family ranch after a barn fire injured his father and left the family finances in ruin. Re-entering the rodeo circuit seems like the best way to get the money he needs. That is until Melanie Summers shows up at his ranch flashing easy money. To everyone else, Melanie’s offer seems like the answer to all his prayers. But one look at her long legs and pouting lips and Stoney knows this high society gal is going to be nothing but trouble…for his cowboy heart.