To my faithful Tempered fans who’ve cried out for Craig to have a follow up story; You who’ve wondered what happened to Katrina, her children, and Mike Guidry after Scott’s death; And for those who wondered what happened to Melena and Garrett from My Heart Weeps.
This
Book is for YOU
I hope you enjoy this peek into Tempered Journey, which is available now at your favorite online retailer.
She’s second-guessing her life choices. He’s been widowed for over a decade. Will a case of mistaken identity bring two lonely souls together?
As a Registered Nurse and Energy Medicine Practitioner, Pat Greene has spent her entire life in service to others. But when her BFF finds true love for the second time, she finds herself surprisingly envious. Has her call to service—which she will never regret—somehow caused her to miss out on something special? The loneliness she’s kept at bay gnaws at her heart. While in Bandera, Texas she has a chance encounter with the one man she’s ever truly loved and is shocked to then discover he’s not the man she thought he was.
The ache of loss still haunts Craig Harris a decade after his wife’s death. Has his loyalty to her memory closed off his heart? Is he bound to an existence without the soul-deep joy he knows a woman’s love can bring? Then he meets Pat Greene. Unprepared, he is bowled over by an instant, powerful spark of attraction—the kind he hasn’t allowed himself to feel for years.
There’s no mistaking the allure the handsome cowboy holds for Pat, but the idea of giving up a lifetime of missionary work sets off a firestorm of doubt and indecision. Besides, Craig has children, grandchildren, and extended family members to think about.
The fact she mistakes him for his brother, with whom she had a brief relationship decades ago, tempers the initial magnetism that draws Craig toward Pat, but the more they get to know one another, the more he wants her in his life.
Will love be enough to tame the wanderlust in her soul and open his heart to the possibilities a future together might hold?
Tempered Journey is a later-in-life romance that shows the power of love to heal the loneliest of hearts. This novel brings together characters from the Tempered series and My Heart Weeps. We catch up with Melena and Garrett as well as Mike, Trina, and the rest of the Harris/Hensley clan as we journey into love with Craig Harris and Pat Greene. Get your copy today and fall in love with these characters all over again.
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Excerpt:
Craig awoke groggy and heavy-headed. For the past two nights, dreams and visions disturbed his sleep. Memories of the love and passion he, and Tamera, shared were swallowed by a big, black hole of despair. Then, a spark of light and images of a woman who touched his soul in a way he never thought possible again.
What was he thinking giving her his number?
What if she didn’t call?
What if she did?
Round and round, the questions rolled, inciting a host of emotions that left him as empty as a hollowed log. Throwing back the covers, he stumbled into the bathroom, turned the water on as hot as he could stand, and stepped beneath the pulsating spray. Thank God for hot water and good water pressure.
Considering the number of people in the house, and the constant influx of those coming and going, the water heaters he’d changed out less than a year ago had been a godsend. There’ll soon be one more.
Craig winced at the thought. As much as he loved his children and grandchildren, he sometimes wished for a place to simply sit in peace and quiet. A picture of his old hunting cabin flashed through his head. He hadn’t been there in years. Wonder what it would take to clean it up? Make it livable.
Didn’t matter. He knew as soon as the thoughts crossed his mind, repairing, remodeling, or replacing the old place had just topped his ‘to do’ list.
Standing in front of the bathroom sink, he wiped the fog from the mirror, and took a long look at the man staring back at him. Pain and loss had undoubtedly taken their toll. Gone was the sparkle that usually lit his gaze. His cheeks were sunken. Deep lines furrowed the skin around his eyes and mouth. Mirrors might not always tell the whole truth, but this one showed how far down in the pit he’d been.
At that moment, Craig admitted what he’d done his best to hide from himself and his children... The loneliness eating away at his soul.
Had his loyalty to Tamera’s memory closed off his heart?
Craig.
He heard her voice as clearly as if she were standing beside him. Tamera... Temper?
Life’s too short, or perhaps too long, to live it alone.
His son’s words but her voice.
It’s time. Past time for you to find love. To be happy. Do it for me.
He clenched a fist to keep from putting it through the thin glass covering the medicine chest and let the tears come. Huge, heaving sobs wracked his entire frame. Spent, he removed the cross necklace she’d given him on their wedding day. He traced the beloved engraving with his thumb. Always, Tamera.
He blinked back another deluge. Swallowed another lump. Taking the ring off his finger, he added it to the chain and refastened the clasp.
Would any woman find him attractive? Would he find another who loved him for himself, and not for what he has, as Tamera had?
Again, the image of short, spiky blonde hair and indigo eyes rose in his mind. His body responded with a flare of desire so sharp it was almost painful.