Excerpt: 'Love Refocused' by Nancy Corrigan

Nancy Corrigan, author of Love Refocused, shares a favorite scene from her new release, out today from Loose ID.

Nancy: Small towns hold a special place in my heart. The pace of living is slower, little events such as town picnics hold a greater value, and there's a sense of community woven into everything that goes on. More important, I love the dynamics of relationships that can be found among longtime residents, so it seemed natural to base my newest series in a rural farming community. Sander's Valley is a blending of all the small towns I've lived in over the years, and in Love Refocused, local boy Wyn Sander introduces Iona Volkov, a Russian socialite, to the uniqueness of small-town living.

EXCERPT

Long, roughened fingers captured her chin. He tilted her head. His face filled her vision and became her world. "I hope we get the chance to"—he brushed his lips against her ear—"get to know each other better."

Her breath escaped in a shaky exhale. She eased out of his embrace. "Umm…I'm sure…I mean, I don't…" She squeezed her eyes shut. He turned her into a blubbering fool. "I'm here for the wedding." She popped her eyelids open and met his gaze. "Only. Do you understand?"

"Absolutely. I'll take you out to Ronnie's house, then come back and look at your car."

His easy agreement stirred her unease. She wouldn't question it. The less she spoke to him, the better. "That would be wonderful. Thank you."

He opened the truck door and leaned against the side of his vehicle, arms crossed over his chest. "Great. Hop in."

She glanced from the lifted truck to him. There was no way she was going to be able to get in without a step stool. "No running boards?"

"No need for them."

She waited a moment, but he didn't offer to help her. Fine. She grabbed on to the door, raised her foot, and huffed. Her toes didn't reach the edge. She was going to have to hop into it. Literally.

"Want a little help?"

"Yes." She glared at him. "Unless you want me to twist my ankle trying to get into this monstrosity."

He stepped behind her and settled his hands on her hips. In one easy move, he picked her up and set her on the seat. His fingertips lingered on her waist. "You're going to get bored over the next month if all you do is plan for a party."

"I doubt it. Ronnie hasn't even started arranging anything. Weddings back home take months, years to plan." She would know. Hers had taken two years to organize and thirty seconds to bring to a screeching halt. She thanked God every day she'd decided to surprise her fiancé the day before their ceremony.

"Not here. We can get a couple of pigs from the Amish farmers, order some kegs, and book one of the local bands. Easy. I doubt that'll take more than a day."

She snapped her mouth closed. "Pigs? What do we need pigs for?"

He frowned. "Well, the pig roast, of course."

"Pig roast," she repeated.

"Sure. We're having this thing over Labor Day weekend. A pig roast is perfect." He rubbed his chin. "Hell, we might need more than a few kegs. Maybe a couple of boxes of wine too."

He couldn't be serious. Could he? Boxes of wine. She stared at him for some clue as to whether he was playing with her or not. He held her gaze and finally raised a brow. "I suppose we can get those wine coolers girls like too."

"Wine coolers?"

He caught her braid and rubbed the loose strands between his thumb and forefinger. "Yeah, but I bet you're more of a beer girl." He tugged her cap off and dropped it in her lap. "I love the Phillies too. You know, I can take you down to see a game since you're going to have so much free time. Beer, a hot dog, a baseball game; it'll be fun."

"A baseball game?" What? Have I turned into a parrot now?

"Sure. Have you ever been to one?"

She shook her head.

"Then we're definitely hitting one soon. You can go dressed exactly as you are. Shorts, a loose top, and these…" He skimmed his fingers down her leg to the straps of her heeled sandals. "These shoes. You need to wear them. They look good on you."

"I feel too short without them." Why she admitted the truth, she didn't know.

His brows turned down. "You're not short, Iona. You're exactly as you're supposed to be."

Learn more about Nancy's books at www.NancyCorriganAuthor.com.