Melissa (Daughters Series, #3)

by Leanne Davis

  I sigh, leaning forward. “Sounds like your own slice of heaven.”

  Her head tips up. “That’s why I ran.”

  “I wasn’t being sarcastic,” I counter and shake my head. “Getting married to the person I love at a big party, with all my family there together, happy to witness it, and then having to work, live, and raise my kids in the same town, all together, as healthy and safe citizens? To me, that sounds like my very own prescription for everything I could ever want from life.”

  I shouldn’t shame her, not right now. Not when I want her to stay here. But it is impossible not to. Everything that makes her feel trapped is everything I want to attain and have always dreamed about. If I could have one wish, that’d be all I would ever ask for.

  Her neck is blushing and it rises clear to her forehead. “I—I didn’t mean it like that. I’m, I mean… you’re right. I didn’t… think.” Her voice fades off and she bites her lip as her eyes grow wider with visible distress.

  I sigh. I don’t need to do this. There is nothing to gain. Trying to understand each other’s lives and circumstances is like comparing hell to heaven. I fake a gentle smile. “Hey, don’t listen to me. It won’t work if you marry the wrong person. You probably saved him and yourself a lot of grief and boredom.”

  She shakes her head.

  I get up. “How about a change of clothes? It can’t help to be sitting around in yards of white fabric.”

  She glances down. “No, it doesn’t.” Plus, I can’t wait for her to get out of it. She looks like a pretty, white angel and I don’t need any romanticized ideals when it comes to Will Hendricks’s daughter. No! Oh, hell no!

  Imagine having the hots for the daughter of the man who ruined your father’s life.

  I harden my heart and chill my gaze. No. There is no forgetting that. She is my enemy at worst and a means to an end at best.

  But she does have a nice smile. She gives me a grin and nods as I turn around to go find some extra clothes for her to wear. Now, I just have to figure out what to do with this odd twist of events. Having Will Hendricks’s daughter in my house is a godsend and I must decide how best to capitalize on that.

  Because that’s the entire reason I am here, now isn’t it?

  Keep Reading Emily.

  My Other Titles:

  The Sister Series is about the emotional scars and battles that are often hidden in people.

  Rape. Drugs. Abuse. Violence. Pain. Betrayal.

  And how they can be overcome.

  Love. Joy. Family. Forgiveness. Faith. Hope. Redemption.

  The Sister Series available to date:

  The Other Sister

  The Years Between

  The Good Sister

  The Best Friend

  The Wrong Sister

  The Years After

  The Broken Sister

  The Perfect Sister

  Daughters is a spin–off of The Sister Series about Jessie’s (The Other Sister) daughters.

  Christina

  Natalie

  Melissa

  Emily

  The Rydell River Ranch is a large horse training, boarding and breeding operation, owned and operated by four brothers who are left in charge of their century–old legacy in the small, rural town of River’s End.

  River's End

  River's Escape

  River's Return

  River Road

  River on Fire

  River's Lost

  Share in the fall, rise and eventual fulfillment of the rock band Zenith’s destiny…

  Zenith Falling

  Zenith Rising

  Zenith Fulfilled

  The characters are all connected to Seaclusion, Washington a fictional town set along the Pacific Ocean.

  Poison

  Notorious

  Secrets

  Seclusion

  My standalone novel:

  Jason Malone has spent his life being denied by his family. His father, the respected mayor of his hometown, has all but ignored his existence, while his drug–addicted mother has always caused him more harm than good. After being unjustly imprisoned for crimes that were caused by his absence of family, he is finally starting to get his life back together again.

  Until the day his estranged brother's fiancée walks into his life and changes everything.

  Christine Andrews is the dutiful daughter of a rich and powerful family, engaged to Trent Gallagher, her father's right hand man, and poised to join her father and Trent in running the empire her father has built. That is, until Christine discovers the existence of Jason Malone and suddenly she begins to doubt everything around her, including her fiancé.

  Christine is caught in a power struggle between the two brothers, but she soon realizes there is far more at stake than her heart, when one decisive night, everything is altered forever.

  About the Author

  I live in the rainy area of Western Washington, and spend as much time as I can getting away from the rain by traveling to destinations all across the state where my family and I do tons of camping, boating, fishing, and horseback riding. Many of the locations we camp become the basis for my books. Most of my settings are fictional but are based on real places.

  I earned my business degree from Western Washington University. I worked for several years in the construction management field before turning to writing full time.

  I love to hear from readers. Please contact me at: dvsleanne@aol.com.

  Or through one of my sites:

  Website

  Facebook Author Page

  Thank you for reading! I hope you enjoyed Melissa.