The Measure of a Man

ONCE BURNED…

If Sloane Hillyard's invention saved the life of one firefighter, it would be worth everything-even if it was too late to save her own brother. But her biggest hurdle lay ahead: To convince sensual, skeptical Captain Nick Trask to give it a chance-without getting burned herself….

As for Nick, he could walk into a burning building, no problem. But the inferno that Sloane ignited presented a different type of challenge. Still, he was up for it. Now all he had to do was convince Sloane it was possible to enjoy the warmth of the fire…without getting consumed by the flames….

"I'll Never Marry!"

From the moment Jonathan Davis rang Diane Black's doorbell, mistaking her for his blind date, she knew the sexy developer couldn't be more different from her. He squired around gorgeous, flirty, dim-witted Dallas socialites, not modest investment bankers like her. Still, the man made her heart flutter under her pin-striped suit as it hadn't in years.

John was many things--a millionaire, a player, a catch. But he'd never be a husband. For him, "marriage" equaled "mistake." Diane might be the quintessential forever kind of woman, but he was confident he could avoid that trap. That is, until he kissed her.

And then, of course, there was the matter of the baby....

Life was supposed to be less complicated here-- But it's not working out that way for Regan Flynn. Her new job at the high school came with a difficult boss and an even more difficult twelve-year-old student. And then there's the girl's charming cowboy father, the local horse trainer with a penchant for rescuing damaged creatures.

Will Bishop is doing his best to raise Kylie on his own. But protecting her from the truth just got a lot more difficult with the arrival of the beautiful new teacher. Any future Will and Regan might have together would be burdened by the secret he can't afford to reveal-- to anyone.

Those were the words Jenny Farber had always longed to hear Zack Decker say. But marrying him would have meant leaving the only home she'd ever really known. So instead of following her high school sweetheart to L.A., she stayed on at his family's ranch, training the horses she adored. Zack never knew about the secret she carried…or how much she still loved him. Until a near-tragedy brought him home again….

Widowed and Wanting

Just yesterday, it seemed, Gideon Lowell was a contented family man. Now he was alone, with three children to raise and a ranch to run. His heart wasn't ready for courtship, but his kids needed a mother. And he needed a woman's touch to ease the hollow ache of loneliness.

As a mail-order bride, Rennie Fortier was supposedly marrying a stranger. She knew that Gideon had no idea that he and his children had haunted her dreams. Now she shared his home, his children, his bed-and emotions neither of them expected. They could live happily ever after-as long as Gideon never discovered who she really was….

-Romantic Times

IT MUST HAVE BEEN THE MISTLETOE…

Why else would Julia Rourke be dreaming of sharing a home-and a life-with a handsome cowboy and his beautiful baby girl?

Why else would confirmed bachelor Tony Pelligrino be adding a nursery on to his ranch-and hoping to fill his bed with a sexy new wife?

When Pete Ledbetter's granddad decided to find Pete a wife, the bachelor had no choice but to find a decoy bride-to-be. For help with his scheme, he looked no further than his family's Colorado dude ranch. After a summer romance, he knew he was compatible with chef Mary Jo Michaels. But after a summer breakup, he knew convincing her to help him would be nearly impossible....

Mary Jo loved the Lazy L; it was Pete she wasn't so sure about. He'd hurt her once, and she couldn't be sure he wouldn't again. Although the way he's acting around her--the way he looks at her--has her thinking the cowboy has changed his ways.

Can she trust Pete enough to turn their pretend engagement into a real marriage?

You're invited to a reunion! Are you brave enough to attend?

When Olivia Ashford first receives the invitation to her high school reunion, she dismisses it. After all, she'd left Summerville-and John Riley-and never looked back. But her life now seems incomplete, and she begins to wonder if she's ever really moved on.

In order to lay some ghosts to rest, Olivia goes home. She rediscovers friendships, visits old hangouts and comes face-to-face with John. She remembers how much she once loved him, how safe he made her feel, how he was always there for her-except for the one time she needed him most.

Claire Ford has no choice but to hire Seth Morgan. There's no one else but this bull rider on the mend to work at her therapeutic riding camp. So in exchange for his expertise with animals, she unwillingly agrees to help ease him back into the saddle.

Equally unwillingly, Claire begins to fall for this proud, quiet man. A man who's determined to climb back onto the bull that almost killed him. And that's the trouble. How can Claire commit to a guy who'd risk his life for something she doesn't believe in? And what will happen if she forces him to choose between love and his livelihood?