Lost in Italy

by Stacey Joy Netzel

  Book 4: Grounds For Change, by Stacey Joy Netzel

  Charlie Russell lived with a secret for fourteen years, but now guilt has pushed him to the breaking point. He meets psychologist Dana McClain and feels an instant connection that has nothing to do with his Great Dane, Sugar, spilling coffee down her shirt. Dana switched to counseling animals because she has a history of becoming too emotionally involved with her clients. She figures she’s safe helping Charlie with Sugar’s issues, until he reveals his secret and asks for her help. She tries to convince herself it's all about the dog, not the guy, but history has a way of repeating itself.

  Book 5: Home Is Where the Heart Is, by Donna Marie Rogers

  Used to the finer things in life, heiress Melinda Spalding is thrown for a loop when her brother relocates to the Midwest. Her parents even expand their business to the small town and put her in charge of the project. Discovering she likes “Mayberry” and its quirky inhabitants is almost as shocking as her growing attraction to the local auto mechanic. But LA is where she belongs…or is home truly where the heart is?

  Drew Porter learned at his mother’s knee how treacherous women can be—and when snooty "Lindy" Spalding skids into his life and nearly hits his dog, she seems worse than most. An unlikely bond between their pets gives him an intriguing glimpse behind her pretentious exterior. While his heart wonders if there more to her than meets the eye, his head tells him to run as fast as he can in the opposite direction.

  Book 6: The Heart of the Matter, by Stacey Joy Netzel

  All Allie Daniels ever wanted was a family of her own—until her doctor informs her she’ll never be able to have children. She hides her desolation, refusing to let any man close enough to see her broken heart. Most certainly not the town veterinarian, who’s cute three-year-old son reminds her of what she’ll never have.

  Rick Wilde had a serious crush on Allie back in high school, but life took them in different directions. Now a single parent, he returns to Redemption several years later to raise his son, Lukas. His interest in Allie is renewed, but her shoulder is colder than the bitter winter wind.

  Brought together by an orphaned kitten, Allie finds herself helpless to resist Lukas’s impish innocence—not to mention Rick’s warm charm and sexy good looks. Does she dare take a chance on an impossible dream, or will Rick’s desire for more kids devastate their future?

  Colorado Trust Series

  Available at : Amazon

  Trust in the Lawe (Book 1)

  Kendra Zelner has three brothers: Eight-year old Noah she's determined to protect, Joel who has no clue she exists, and Robert who wants her dead.

  With reason to be distrustful of cops, she takes Noah and flees their Manhattan home for Joel’s ranch in Colorado. Under the pretense of needing a job, she plans to hide out until her twenty-fifth birthday, when she’ll inherit her trust fund and legally gain custody of Noah away from Robert’s greedy hands. Unfortunately, her brother’s sexy, infuriating ranch manager insists on demolishing her defenses and digging into her past.

  Colton Lawe has good reason to suspect Joel’s beautiful, long-lost sister isn’t what she seems—the little liar stole from him! He silently vows to expose her secrets, but long hours together on the ranch fosters a closeness and fiery attraction neither of them expects. Can Kendra trust Colton with the full truth before Robert finds them?

  EXCERPT:

  “I’d like you to meet Kendra Zelner,” Joel said. “Kendra, this is the JBM Ranch manager, Colton Lawe.”

  Colton extended a hand toward Kendra. Okay. Fine. He’d play along; see where this was all headed. She bit her lip as she hesitated, and his gaze was drawn to her white teeth against her full bottom lip. It distracted him enough that when she placed her small, cool palm against his, he flinched in surprise.

  He kept his grip gentle at first, and then tightened it. Her eyes widened, and her nostrils flared as she drew in a quick breath.

  “Nice to meet you,” Colton murmured.

  “Kendra’s my sister.”

  Colton released her hand and whipped his head around. Joel didn’t appear to be joking. “Didn’t know you had a sister,” he commented.

  “Me neither. And technically, she’s my half sister.”

  Focusing his narrowed gaze on Kendra again, Colton read genuine fear. Of him. That ruled out the practical joke angle real quick.

  She was right to be worried. Because in a second, he was going to expose her for a lying thief.

  Joel and Britt were more than his employers, more than his friends even, they were as close to family as it got without blood ties.

  Colton had applied at JBM Ranch fresh out of high school, feeling guilty as hell and scared to death because someone had to pay the medical bills from his father’s accident. Joel took him under his wing and taught him everything about running the ranch. A few weeks ago, when the previous manager, Todd, had gotten married and left to work on his wife’s ranch, Joel turned management over to Colton so he could continue to concentrate on training the horses with Britt.

  He couldn’t let Joel down now; he owed him the truth. But before he could form the words, Joel spoke. “Kendra, and her brother, Noah, will be staying for awhile.”

  Colton glanced at Joel. “There’s a brother, too?”

  Joel smiled. “Yeah. Cody thinks it’s hilarious that a kid his age is actually his uncle.”

  Colton’s gut clenched. Joel appeared to have accepted every word the girl said. Whatever line of bull she’d fed him, it must’ve been good, because Joel wasn’t easily fooled. Worse, he looked genuinely happy about the supposed new additions to his family. With everyone watching, no way could Colton tell him he’d been played for a fool. He’d have to wait and talk to Joel in private.

  But he couldn’t help commenting, “Wow, a sister and a brother, all in one day.”

  The apprehension in Kendra’s eyes increased when his subtle sarcasm registered with her, as he’d intended. She swallowed hard and seemed to be waiting for him to lower the ax. Oh, how he’d love to do that—payback for the sidewalk humiliation. Just the thought of it—

  “They can stay in the guesthouse,” Britt said.

  Colton and Joel both swung around.

  “What?” she asked. “It makes sense—give them some privacy as we all get to know each other. Besides, we don’t have any clients planning to use it anytime in the near…” Her gaze shifted from one to the other. “What?”

  “Colton’s roommate is moving to Toronto. I told Colton yesterday he could use the guesthouse instead of finding someone else or looking for a different apartment,” Joel explained. “I should’ve talked to you about it first, but I didn’t think you’d mind.”

  “Oh,” Britt said.

  Colton suspected Joel had really offered the house to help Colton’s strained financial situation. They’d spoken about it some, but per his request, Britt wasn’t aware of the extent of his father’s medical bills. His suspicion was confirmed when Joel cast him a glance before saying, “Kendra and Noah can just stay here with us. We’ve got more than enough room.”

  “No.” Colton’s denial drew everyone’s attention, including Kendra’s. The thief still hadn’t said a word. “I already found a new place, but after talking to Joel, I didn’t follow up on it. I’ll just call the manager and see if it’s still available.”

  “Colton—”

  “It’s okay, really,” Colton insisted, ignoring Joel’s look of apology. “I’ve been debating whether I want to live where I work, anyway. I might get sick of you guys.”

  He smiled to indicate he was joking, and thankfully Joel let it go. No way did he want Kendra staying in the main house with his friends and the kids. He could keep a better eye on her in the guesthouse, especially when he moved in anyway. No one would have to know if he talked to the building manager, and when the time came, he’d let Ms. Kendra Zelner know exactly what choice she had in the matter. Let her explain to her ‘brother.’

  The doorbell rang, an
d Britt looked at her watch. She stood up with a frown. “It’s ten o’clock already—that’ll be the Coopers for their training session.”

  Joel grimaced. “They’ll be here for a while.”

  As Joel and Britt conversed, Colton watched Kendra struggle with her composure and saw a glimmer of panic and fear give way for uncertainty in her suddenly expressive face. It was like reading a book. He read wariness in the one glance she cast in his direction, and knew she wondered why he gave up the house for her; why he didn’t reveal her for the liar he knew her to be.

  Well, let her keep wondering. If he kept the little klepto off balance, it might be easier to protect the Morgan’s while gathering solid evidence to expose her scam.

  Britt walked toward the foyer. “Joel, I’ll stall them while you show Kendra the guesthouse so she and Noah can freshen up.”

  “I’ll take her,” Colton offered.

  A flash of dismay in her eyes confirmed she didn’t like that prospect one bit.

  “That would help.” Joel turned to Kendra. “Do you mind?”

  Colton’s direct gaze dared her to object. After a visible swallow, she shook her head no.

  “Thanks.” Joel walked by Colton and gave him a clap on the shoulder. “Don’t have to tell you how the Coopers are.” Pausing at the door, he looked at Kendra. “We’ll all have dinner tonight, after you’re settled, okay?”

  She offered a weak smile of agreement, and then Joel’s boots echoed across the floor with his departure. The moment they were alone, Colton braced his hands on the table and leaned forward.

  Her wide gaze met his, full of apprehension. In a moment of distraction, he thought how very pretty her brown eyes were.

  As she reached for her coffee cup, her tongue appeared and swiped nervously across her lips. A jolt of awareness took him completely by surprise.

  Colton shoved back from the table. She jumped, then took a drink as if everything were normal.

  Colton forced any thoughts of pretty or sexy from his mind and managed to sound relatively normal when he asked, “Ready?”

  She took her time setting the cup down before standing. He pushed his hands into his front pockets when she picked up the two dusty leather duffle bags near the entry between the kitchen and the foyer. He’d be damned if he’d offer to carry them, but then found himself holding the back door open.

  “You’ll like it here,” he said, hoping to lull her into a false sense of security. She cast him a quick glance as they walked toward a house set back near the trees, halfway between the main house and three barns.

  “Colorado is very pretty,” she finally replied.

  He flashed a brief smile. “I meant the ranch. Joel and Britt are great, and they’ve got some of the best horses in the state.”

  She nodded, shifting the bags in her arms. A glance at his empty hands told him she was annoyed that he didn’t offer assistance. Hah. As if he owed her any courtesy at all.

  “Where’re you from?”

  After a distinct hesitation, she supplied, “New York.”

  “The city or just the state?” he pressed.

  “City.”

  “Hmmm. This is a far cry from New York.”

  A small smile curved her lips. “You can say that again.”

  “This is a far cry from—”

  “I didn’t mean it literally.” Her smile widened.

  The situation demanded he laugh with her, but he forced his attention off her smile. Once on the porch, he opened the door and stepped inside ahead of her. Then he waited. For the sound of her footsteps. For the thump of her bags hitting the floor. For the click of the door to assure privacy.

  “I wanted to—”

  When he turned, she halted mid-sentence. Her apologetic expression gave way to an alarmed squeak when he grasped her upper arms and pushed her up against the wall. The bulk of his body gave her no room to move.

  “Who the hell are you?” he demanded.

  Stark fear dilated her pupils until her brown eyes were nearly black. Her breathing grew shallow, and she gulped twice before stuttering, “Y-you know w-who I am.”

  He tightened his grip on her shoulders, then became aware of how delicate they seemed under his large hands and forced himself to ease up. “I don’t believe it. You’re up to something, and you’ve got about five seconds to tell me what it is.”

  “H-honestly, I’m n-not.”

  Colton scoffed. “So, it’s merely coincidence that you robbed me this morning and then show up here claiming to be some long lost relative?”

  “It’s nothing more than cruel coincidence—I swear to God.”

  “Don’t you dare do that. I don’t buy one word of it.” He leaned closer, ignoring her trembling beneath his hands. “Who are you? What do you want with Joel?”

  “He told you, I’m his sister. Please…all I want is a place to stay until my…until we get back on our feet. We have nowhere else to go.”

  He caught her hesitation, saw a brief flash of panic, and wondered what she’d been about to say.

  He searched her expression for any kernel of truth to her words.

  In the space of a heartbeat, he became aware of the heat of her vibrating body. If he leaned down a few inches, their lips would meet. His pulse thrummed. The urge to do just that was so great it left him shaken as he stared into her eyes. She was an untrustworthy, lying, thieving, scheming con artist.

  And he’d never felt an immediate attraction like this in his life.

  ~*~

  ***What reviewers are saying:

  You Gotta Read Reviews ~ “Trust in the Lawe was truly one of the best books I have read this year. It's fun, suspenseful, filled with misunderstanding and characters that you will fall in love with. The plot line was tight, very well crafted and every question I may have had throughout the book was answered. I have a great respect for Stacey Joy Netzel and the way she can write a romantic story with sizzle and spice that kept me absolutely addicted. From the moment I started reading, it was as though my real life just floated away and I was drawn into Trust in the Lawe. Honestly, you won't be able to put this book down. If you are not a Stacey Joy Netzel fan yet, just pick up this book and you will find you want to read all of her books. To sum it all up, Outstanding book, not to be missed. I HIGHLY recommend this book.”

  Night Owl Reviews Reviewer Top Pick: “This book is fantastic on so many levels. Ms. Netzel crafted characters that were easy to fall in love with and were so well-rounded that they felt like friends of mine as I was turning the pages. If you're looking for a read that has intrigue, love and deception all wrapped together in a pretty package, than look no further because Ms. Netzel's story will instantly win you over. This is another keeper I'm adding to my library that's written by a wonderfully talented author who knows what readers want to read.” ~ Diana Coyle

  Shattered Trust (Book 2)

  Colorado Trust series available at : Amazon

  Sweet twenty-seven and never been kissed. Well…no one’s ever accused Marley Wade of being sweet. Raised in the world of construction by her rough-and-tumble father, Marley knows what it takes to succeed as a general contractor in a man’s world. The last thing she needs is an employee who makes her feel soft and feminine.

  New co-owner of Hunter Construction Justin Blake goes undercover on Marley’s crew to discover the truth behind his grandfather’s death. But he didn't count on an instant attraction to his boss—or for it to develop into deeper emotions. When a blackmailer threatens to expose the twenty-five-year-old secrets that link his family and Marley’s, Justin realizes the truth could not only shatter a future with Marley, but his entire family as well.

  EXCERPT:

  “Are you sure your field measure is correct?”

  Her brow creased as she tucked the hair back. “I double checked the measurements myself.”

  His irritation spiked at her doubt. “I suggest you triple check them.”

  She drew herself up straight as a board. “I suggest you go back
to what you’re supposed to be doing and quit doing my job.”

  Her quiet order jolted him. Shit. He’d forgotten himself. Lips pressed together in a tight seam, he turned and strode across the plywood floor of the house. Over the next ten minutes, Justin did his job, careful to avoid watching her re-measure.

  Would he have to reveal his identity and fire her? Given the circumstances of the company right now, and the way he’d been distracted by her presence over the past couple days, not to mention Granddad, it might be for the best.

  “You were right.”

  Justin spun around. Loud enough for everyone in the general vicinity to hear it over the noise of the boom truck, Marley’s husky admission came as a complete surprise. She met his gaze without flinching, even though he read in her eyes how much she hated being wrong.

  “The rafters were ordered off previous blueprints, before we adjusted for the extra insulation the owner insisted we put on the outside wall.”

  A rookie mistake, even if it was an honest one. Unfortunately, because of the size of the house, it would now cost Hunter Construction thousands of dollars in new lumber.

  Marley turned away as the boom began to lower a rafter for a different section of the roof. Justin glanced up the ladder where Nate used a rope to guide it into place, then his gaze returned to her retreating back.

  “You realize you’ll need to reorder the entire set of rafters for that section,” he called.

  She spun around. “I’m not a complete idiot. I’ll have you know—”

  A snap reverberated in the air and Justin saw the boom arm jerk. The ominous sound of the steel cable slipping unrestrained through the iron hook reached his ears as the rafter fell straight toward Marley.