She’s ready to slow life down. . .

He’s been living his life for his daughter . . .

Jared Adamson is preparing for an empty nest at his Tennessee farm as his 21-year- old daughter prepares for her future and plans her launch into adulthood. A widower of four years, he’s now facing a quiet life of solitude.

A chance encounter brings them together when Kinsley finds herself needing Jared’s help. As the detour turns into an extended vacation, they discover that life has much more to offer than they knew. But is it wise to start planting roots so soon?

They turned the horses back toward the barn. The storm was moving faster than expected. They hadn’t made it halfway home when raindrops began to tap their heads. By the time they were at the barn’s entrance, the rain was coming down in sheets. Jared’s hat had deflected most of the rain from his head, but wet clothes clung to both of their bodies.

She hugged her shoulders and felt a strong sense of calm. Unlike most people, she preferred gray, rainy days to sunny ones. The rain put her into a meditative mind and made her feel more in touch with the world. It was cleansing and peaceful. Out of the rain now with the wind blowing into the barn, a chill caused a shiver to ripple down her, and she hugged her arms closer.

Suddenly a warmth radiated into her back and covered her bare arms. She leaned backward into Jared’s chest as he rubbed the cold bare skin of her upper arms. His hands moved down the sides of her arms and traced to her hands. Crossed over each other in front of her, Kinsley’s hands laced themselves into his and she felt his breath on her neck, hot and urgent. He softly touched his lips to her neck and along her collarbone, then to her ear. She turned her face toward him and their lips met, softly at first. When she tentatively pushed her tongue past her lips to taste the rain on his, he groaned against her and pulled her closer, moving his hands to her stomach, where his thumbs brushed upwards to feather along the bottoms of her breasts.

He stood quickly and grabbed his jeans, pulling them on while looking out the window. Then he turned back and, with an eerily calm tone, said, “Call 911.”

She looked at the handsome man and decided she had a good reason to put off that last event now.

Maybe Ethel had done her a favor after all. She felt the warmth she had come to accept would be a constant feeling while she was near this man. It pleased her that he was playing along with her.