Harlequin Romance March 2021 Box Set by Cara Colter (best novel books to read .TXT) 📕

Red left the window seat and headed to his bedroom. He was pleased with the changes he had made to it. A sturdy king-size bed with a slate headboard, extra long, with more of a cottage vibe than a Victorian one. A huge horizontal dresser had been custom-made by a local craftsman, and Red admired its rich grain and live-edge feature every time he entered the room. A sitting area by the bay window featured a pomegranate recliner with a pine-green throw and a coffee table that matched the dresser. The original wood floor gleamed under a Muskoka-themed area rug displaying loons on a lake edged with pine trees.

Under his warm duvet, Red thought about his unexpected guest. The last thing he had expected today was to spend the evening with a lady…and one related to a friend of his. Gazing at his ice-encrusted window, he thought back to what Casson might have told him about Ronnie. He had met with Casson a couple of times during the contractual stages of the project. Red’s Toronto team was handling the venture, but Red had taken a few days off to drive to Parry Sound to catch up with his friend from university.

He stretched out his arms and linked his hands behind his neck. He thought back to when he had met up with Casson and his wife and their new baby at Winter’s Haven after taking possession of his new house. His brow furrowed as he remembered another person who was there, a little boy Casson had introduced as his nephew… Adam? No, Andy.

After Andy had left the room, Casson had told Red about Andy finishing his treatment, and that he’d be one of the first kids to stay at Franklin’s Resort when it opened in the New Year. With his mom, Casson’s cousin Veronica.

Ronnie.

Red’s heart began to pound. And he didn’t exactly know why…

CHAPTER THREE

RONNIE LISTENED TO the freezing rain striking her window as she changed into the guest robe she had found hanging in the luxurious en suite bathroom. As soon as she had stepped into the room earlier, she had felt that she was stepping into another century. Her gaze had immediately flown to the elaborate four-poster with its ivory lace-edged canopy panels and plush bedspread with gathered ruffle. A rich Aubusson carpet with floral accents and cream, coral, and light green hues covered much of the polished wood floor. An elegant coral wingback chair and matching ottoman were positioned in one corner by an ornate porcelain fireplace, along with a gleaming coffee table and vintage lamp. On the ceiling, an intricate rose-gold chandelier shimmered with dozens of lights.

After Red had left, Ronnie had checked out the spacious en suite bathroom, a mix of modern and vintage, with its elegant marble and glass features, claw-foot tub and mosaic-tiled shower.

Tightening the belt of the robe around her waist, she padded to the window, shivered at the sight of the freezing rain, and was glad they hadn’t ventured any farther. Hopefully, the temperature would rise in the morning, melt the accumulated ice on the roads and Red could drive her back to Winter’s Haven…

Red. The name suited him. He was tall and strong. And damn good-looking. An image of the way his broad chest and shoulders had filled out his plaid shirt, and his long legs in jeans, popped into her mind… It reminded Ronnie of a drawing of Paul Bunyan in one of her childhood books. She wondered if anybody called him Big Red…

What silly musings, she thought, shaking her head. Why was she even conjuring up such images? She turned off the chandelier and switched on the bedside lamp before shifting the pillows and slipping under the covers. She sighed. The bed was heavenly, and she did feel like a queen. She’d have to recount her adventure to Andy when he returned from visiting his father in a few days.

Ronnie’s smile faded as she recalled the shock of Andy’s diagnosis, their lives instantly changing, the harrowing trips back and forth to the Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto’s SickKids, from their home in Gravenhurst, the building tension between her and her husband and the final blow: her husband, Peter, “needing a break” and moving out, leaving Ronnie with the bulk of the responsibility.

He announced months later that he had been seeing a nurse called Meredith, and that she had accepted his proposal to become Mrs. Walsh after his divorce. What had surprised Ronnie the most during this time was that Meredith, to her credit, had encouraged Peter to devote more time to his paternal responsibilities. As a result, Andy was now spending alternating weeks and every second weekend with his dad. And new stepmother.

Ronnie turned off the lamp and listened to the tinkle of ice pellets against the bay window. She felt safe and cocooned under the bedspread. Protected, just like she’d been when Red had carried her to his truck…

Her pulse quickened at the memory of her head pressing against his chest as she tried to shield herself from the slanting freezing rain. A coil of heat spiraled through her, and she brought her palms up to her cheeks. What on earth was happening to her? Surely she wasn’t allowing herself to be physically affected by a virtual stranger who had swept her up in his arms for no other reason than to bring her to safety?

Her body was betraying her. Responding to a man’s touch—no, to the memory of his touch, as if she were starved for a man’s caress…

Stop! The last thing she wanted—or needed—was a man’s touch. She had come out of a broken marriage. She had continued handling her parental responsibilities independently. Why would she get herself entangled again? And what if—and she prayed it would never happen—Andy got sick again? She couldn’t take the chance that whoever she was with would not be capable of sticking it out through the tough—and scary—process