Nonetheless…
“The boys are going to kill us. You, actually,” Sid continued. “They’re going to kill you. I love you so much but don’t think I can protect you. I promised there would be no more changes, and I have to keep my word. Don’t force me to use my veto power.”
Mia appeared to be ignoring Sid’s good-natured caution, stepping down from her perch on the unfinished threshold.
“I’m pretty sure you’re going to approve,” she said over her shoulder as she and Flynn rounded the corner of the house out of sight.
Sid was enjoying the sun too much to budge, listening instead to the truck door slam, a brief exchange of familiar voices made indecipherable by the warm mountain wind, then another door slam followed by the truck driving away.
Mia reappeared, Flynn weaving around her feet, his eyes glued to her chest. She held a blanket, and as she got closer, Sid could make out tiny furry ears amidst with the fabric. “Sid, I’d like you to meet Poco. The pick of Milo’s litter.”
Sid jumped from the ledge, her heart melting more quickly than the sun-warmed mountain peaks at the sight of the small blue-eyed puppy. “Oh my gosh, he’s adorable!” Sid peeled back the blanket; the puppy struggled out of its cocoon and into Sid’s open arms.
“She, actually. Poco is short for Pocahontas, which translates from Algonquin, meaning ‘mischievous one.’ I thought it was apropos, but she’s yours to name.”
“Poco is perfect, thank you. I love her, and I’m sure Flynn will learn to love having another puppy around. I think he misses Milo, though he’d never admit it. Would you, boy?” Sid rubbed Flynn’s ears, and he wagged in response.
They perched on the foundation, Sid holding Poco and trying to fight back tears of intense happiness. Mia wiped away those that ran down.
“Did you know that the Chinook winds were once rumored to cause psychosis?” Mia asked.
“Is that why I’m so crazy about you?”
“Quite likely, cowboy. But I’ll take you any way I can get you.”
“Well, you’re stuck with me now.” Sid twisted the platinum band on her ring finger.
Mia brushed her lips with tear-salted fingers and leaned into Sid. “Right where we are.”
Sid looked across the lake and scanned the horizon. There was something about being with Mia that made the mountains look even more majestic and the fields as endless as the possibilities. This was her path.
“Always.”
About the Author
This is Annie McDonald’s first novel. A proud Canadian, she plans to celebrate her country’s incredible diversity by writing novels set in each of the ten provinces and three territories.
She is encouraged by the nation’s ongoing commitment to respect and inclusion of all people and by the many recent heartfelt acts undertaken to reconcile with Canada’s inspiring First Nations, Metis, and Inuit peoples. She holds strongly to the late Maya Angelou’s words of great wisdom: “Do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better, do better.”
She currently lives in the Niagara Region surrounded by grapevines and their promise.
Books Available from Bold Strokes Books
Face Off by PJ Trebelhorn. Hockey player Savannah Wells rarely spends more than a night with any one woman, but when photographer Madison Scott buys the house next door, she’s forced to rethink what she expects out of life. (978-1-63555-480-9)
Hot Ice by Aurora Rey, Elle Spencer, and Erin Zak. Can falling in love melt the hearts of the iciest ice queens? Join Aurora Rey, Elle Spencer, and Erin Zak to find out! A contemporary romance novella collection. (978-1-63555-513-4)
Line of Duty by VK Powell. Dr. Dylan Carlyle’s professional and personal life is turned upside down when a tragic event at Fairview Station pits her against ambitious, handsome police officer Finley Masters. ((978-1-63555-486-1)
London Undone by Nan Higgins. London Craft reinvents her life after reading a childhood letter to her future self and, in doing so, finds the love she truly wants. (978-1-63555-562-2)
Lunar Eclipse by Gun Brooke. Moon De Cruz lives alone on an uninhabited planet after being shipwrecked in space. Her life changes forever when Captain Beaux Lestarion’s arrival threatens the planet and Moon’s freedom. (978-1-63555-460-1)
One Small Step by MA Binfield. In this contemporary romance, Iris and Cam discover the meaning of taking chances and following your heart, even if it means getting hurt. (978-1-63555-596-7)
Shadows of a Dream by Nicole Disney. Rainn has the talent to take her rock band all the way, but falling in love is a powerful distraction, and her new girlfriend’s meth addiction might just take them both down. 978-1-63555-598-1)
Someone to Love by Jenny Frame. When Davina Trent is given an unexpected family, can she let nanny Wendy Darling teach her to open her heart to the children and to Wendy? (978-1-63555-468-7)
Uncharted by Robyn Nyx. As Rayne Marcellus and Chase Stinsen track the legendary Golden Trinity, they must learn to put their differences aside and depend on one another to survive. (978-1-63555-325-3)
Where We Are by Annie McDonald. A sensual account of two women who discover a way to walk on the same path together with the help of an Indigenous tale, a Canadian art movement, and the mysterious appearance of dimes. (978-1-63555-581-3)
A Moment in Time by Lisa Moreau. A longstanding family feud separates two women who unexpectedly fall in love at an antique clock shop in a small Louisiana town. (978-1-63555-419-9)
Aspen in Moonlight by Kelly Wacker. When art historian Melissa Warren meets Sula Johansen, director of a local bear conservancy, she discovers that love can come in unexpected and unusual forms. (978-1-63555-470-0)
Back to September by Melissa Brayden. Small bookshop owner Hannah Shepard and famous romance novelist Parker Bristow maneuver the landscape of their two very different worlds to find out if love can win out in the end. (978-1-63555-576-9)
Changing Course by Brey Willows. When the woman of her dreams falls from the sky, intergalactic space captain Jessa Arbelle had better be ready to catch her. (978-1-63555-335-2)
Cost of Honor by Radclyffe. First Daughter Blair Powell and Homeland Security Director Cameron Roberts face adversity when their enemies stop at nothing to prevent President Andrew Powell’s reelection. Book 11 in the Honor series. (978-1-63555-582-0)
Fearless by Tina Michele. Determined to overcome her debilitating fear through exposure therapy, Laura Carter all but fails before she’s even begun until dolphin trainer Jillian Marshall dedicates herself to helping Laura defeat the nightmares of her past. (978-1-63555-495-3)
Not Dead Enough by J.M. Redmann. In the tenth book of the Micky Knight mystery series, a woman who may or may not be dead drags Micky into a messy con game. (978-1-63555-543-1)
BOLDSTROKESBOOKS.COM
Looking for your next great read?
Visit BOLDSTROKESBOOKS.COM
to browse our entire catalog of paperbacks, ebooks, and audiobooks.
Want the first word on what’s new?
Visit our website for event info,
author interviews, and blogs.
Subscribe to our free newsletter for sneak peeks,
new releases, plus first notice of promos
and daily bargains
SIGN UP AT
BOLDSTROKESBOOKS.COM/signup
Where We Are Page 21