Homesteader Blues
Page 9
"Snagged" is the first of the Copper River Romances.
In some places in Alaska, there are only two places to socialize, the bar and the church. Dorcas' family chose the church. Trying to find her path, she is spending the winter in a remote cabin. The pilot of a small plane crashes on the river. Dorcas pulls James out of the freezing water, saving his life.
James has been working alongside his father building the business for years. His trip to Fairbanks to scout out a second location angers his father. James leaves a day early, and his plane develops engine trouble over the Copper River, far off course. Being thrown from the aircraft into the icy water, the young man thinks his life is over until the girl pulls him from the river.
There is a family connection that goes back over twenty-five years, something neither of the young people discovers until her family comes to spend Christmas with her at the remote cabin. Will an old lie tear the young couple apart? Will James' father finally listen to the truth?
"Stalking Red"
The second of the Copper River Romances finds a hunter in a tight spot. P.R. Jones wants to get close to the new tenant, Brenda. But she is living with a summer intern from her office. P.R. must bide his time and remain a friend to Brenda, Red if he wants to end this hunt successfully. He doesn't care what his parents think; Red is the one he will have. But P.R. wants marriage.
Brenda is not sure she wants to lose her only real friend, P.R. Jones. On the other hand, a friend with benefits would be nice. Will P.R. go for that kind of relationship? Red isn’t sure she’s ready for anything else. She’s also not sure what to do if her part Athabaskan, and part white friend needs to move back to the Copper River Basin to deal with family issues.
P.R.’s connection to his family is strong, but Brenda worked hard to become a paralegal. Giving that up is not something she wants to consider. Is the relationship doomed before it even starts?
"Heart of the Hunter"
The third of the Copper River Romances, finds a young man, Jay Leighton, back from Afghanistan and happy to bury himself in the solitude of the Copper Basin. He is a hunter and a loner trying to heal scars, emotional wounds brought back with him. The last thing he needs is to be brought face to face with the loveliest woman to move to the Basin in the last year. His head is not ready, but his heart is saying something else.
Leda is a teacher just out of school, who has not had time for love; Jay takes her by surprise. A soft-spoken, slightly broken man, who lives in a small cabin with his dog, Licker, for companionship, Leda sees something in Jay she needs to pursue. But Leda is worried about her reputation in the tiny community of Kenny Lake. She should stay away from Jay. But can she? Just who is the hunter and who is the hunted?
"Cougar Hunt"
She is very aware of the danger in the game she is playing. Meeting friends with benefits on the internet is not safe. The only constant in her life is the kid she keeps rejecting. But Joey keeps coming back until the night they share a sleeping bag during a snowstorm. Finally willing to admit she may need professional help, Linda finds she may have waited too long. Joey withdraws from college and leaves town without warning. Her world is suddenly in splinters around her. What has she done?
The fourth of the Copper River Romances, strips away the masks Joe Friday Jones, the youngest Jones boy, and Linda Rae Ed have been hiding behind. Linda is not the positive individual she appears to be. The only one who knows her secret is J.F. Jones. In love with Linda for years, he is finally forced to face the truth one cold night. Keeping Linda alive during a snow storm on the bluffs, J.F. gives her his heart. Linda pushes him away once again. She feels the four years between them would label her a "cougar." J.F. is afraid if she doesn’t reach out for help, she will die, but he can’t take any more rejection from Linda.
"Baubles and Beads"
Della Street Jones is everyone’s ‘good little girl’ and is tired of the label. Munk Riley is the skinny little thief she shared her lunch with until the family left the Copper Basin. Riley, caught by the Jones family, is given a chance to redeem himself and earns a diesel mechanic certification. Munk wants to marry Della. He craves all the things denied him growing up the only child of an alcoholic mother.
Taking a job without telling her, causes a blow out between them. Embarrassed, Della takes a live-in position at a remote lodge. She finds something that causes her to send an SOS to her family to get her out. Munk will do anything to get Della back where she belongs. But does Della belong where everyone else thinks she does? Can they get out without waking the man who controls the underbelly of Alaska?
"Grass and Blue Skies"
On crutches and no longer able to fly jets, Brett is grateful to have come home alive instead of in a box. Though he’s still got his leg, there’s a lot of pain too. A relative sends him to see the pretty herbalist who helps people with pain and nerve problems. One look at her and Brett wants more than pain relief.
Nikee has a secret room beneath her greenhouse full of pot plants. The woman began growing medical marijuana several years ago to help her father after an unfortunate accident, and she has no plans to quit. Hopefully telling Brett about the grow operation won’t cost her a relationship with the man.
If the delicate balance of her relationship with Brett isn’t enough, someone else has discovered her secret. He wants her crop and will do anything to cash in on her work, but Nikee can't go to the Troopers for help.
Can a woman, an old man, and an ex-jet jock keep the nefarious character out of her medicinal pot?
"Chaos and Crab Pots"
Burned badly, Matt Hite is drifting. Not sure if he will crew on the crab boat again, he goes to a small native village on Alaska’s West Coast to help a friend. On the plane, he meets a woman. She’s beautiful, but Alice Ann isn’t a Christian. Matt wants to know why he keeps getting lines of scripture when he looks at her.
Alice Ann in the village is Aurora in Anchorage. The young woman has come out to help her grandmother catch her crab quota this year. She is also eager to get away from the bosses son. The man is a criminal in training. Alice Ann is trying to leave that behind. But Jacky isn’t done with Aurora, not by a long shot. Revenge is best served cold.