Excerpt: 'His Small-Town Sweetheart' by Amanda Berry

Amanda Berry shares a favorite scene from her new release, His Small-Town Sweetheart.

First, here's the blurb about the book:

Best Friends…Forever

Twenty years ago, Nicole Baxter left the only home she knew—and the boy who shared all her secrets. Now, with nowhere else to go, she's back in Tawnee Valley to figure out her next move—and cry on her old friend Sam Ward's shoulder. Except the gentle dreamer has become a brooding loner who's gearing up to sell the place he loves most.

When Nikki moved away, Sam lost the best friend he ever had. The beautiful, elegant woman who comes home is a world away from the tomboy with pigtails and skinned knees. And he's no longer the dreamy kid who believes in happy endings. Until Nikki starts to convince him they share the same dream: a future together right here in their own backyard…

Amanda sets up the scene for us …

Amanda: It was really hard to cut down to a small chunk of my favorite scene from His Small-Town Sweetheart. Sam and Nicole were childhood friends until Nicole's parents divorced and she moved away at 14. She's back in Tawnee Valley at her father's farm next door to get over her breakup and finding a new job in a new city. She comes over to Sam's to help round up the pigs for the sale barn. Unfortunately, Nicole falls in the mud and so does Sam — with a little help from Nicole. To get the muck off, they are using the hose. Sam goes first and when the mud starts to get into his eyes, she convinces him to take off his shirt and sit on a stump so she can get the mud out of his hair. This scene always leaves me with a smile.

FYI: Brady and Luke are Sam's younger brothers. Their stories are Father by Choice and One Night with the Best Man, respectively.

EXCERPT

"All clean," she announced, and he felt the loss of her warmth when she stepped back. "That didn't seem so bad. Here you go. Do your worst."

He turned and reached for the hose in her outstretched hand. Her smile froze on her face as she stared at his chest. He'd almost forgotten.

She reached out and touched the healing scar from his surgery. "What happened?"

He hissed, but not from pain. Heat raced through him. Her touch was like burning coals on his body.

"Does it hurt?" She stared up at him with her huge green eyes. "Sam? This is a fresh scar. What is it from? Did you hurt yourself? No wonder you were in pain lifting me from the ground. Why didn't you tell me? I would have managed to get up on my own, though you were definitely helpful, but I wouldn't want to hurt you."

"I had surgery."

She stared at the scar, trying to piece together what had needed operation. The scar was on his left pectoral muscle. She could probably feel the rapid beat of his heart beneath her palm. Her hands shook, and when she lifted her eyes to look at him, tears swam in them. "Your heart?"

He nodded.

"But…" A tear slipped over the edge and left a clean track in the dried mud along her cheek. "But…"

Nicole's upset was something he wasn't used to. Brady had been matter-of-fact about it, and Luke had been angry, but neither of them had cried about it. Even Sam hadn't cried about it. It was what it was, and now it was over. "It's okay, Nicole."

"No, it's not." She shook her head and pressed her palm over his heart like she could heal it through her touch alone. "Why didn't you tell me? When did this happen? Are you going to die? Is your heart fixed? I've gone on and on about me and my problems, but oh, my God, Sam…"

She pressed her trembling lips together like she was trying to hold back a sob.

"I'm not dying." Sam hadn't really spoken about his heart to anyone outside of his immediate family, though most of Tawnee Valley knew. That was the way it was with a small community. "I had a valve that needed to be replaced. No big deal."

"Are you just trying to make me feel better, or are you telling me the truth? Because, so help me God, Sam Ward, if you die on me, I will never forgive you." Her relieved smile didn't quite make it to her eyes.

"I'm not ready to die yet." Sam covered her hand with his. He meant it, too. He'd hardly lived. His life had been this farm and taking care of his brothers. And now he didn't know what he wanted, but he wanted more. More than this farm and the solitude it forced on him. More than living a life that was forced on him because his parents died too early.

"Good. Now be a good guy and hose me down before the flies eat me alive." She slid her hand out from under his and stepped back. "I'm warning you, though—scar or no scar—if you don't play fair, I will wrestle that hose away from you and make you pay."

His chest felt lighter at her grin. Whenever Luke or Brady looked at him even now, there was always this glint of concern or worry in their eyes, but not Nicole. She accepted the fact that he said he was fine, and she acted like nothing had happened.

"Sure." He lifted the hose and sprayed.

"Oh, my God, that is cold." She danced around but stayed in the stream. "I don't know how you stood there silently while I hosed you off. If I'd known you were just taking it like a man, I would have said never mind, I'll let the flies eat me alive. I even thought it'd feel good in this heat, but I was wrong. It feels damned cold. Cold, cold, cold."

Find out more about Amanda Berry and her books at amanda-berry.com.