What Rosie Found Next
Page 25
In the corner of her eye, Rosie noticed the tartan seat running along the length of the window.
‘I put that in,’ said Owen. ‘I thought you’d like it.’
Rosie held her breath as he trailed kisses across her collar bone, up her neck.
‘And what’s that?’ In the middle of the bed, in the centre of the roses forming the heart, was a letter.
‘It’s the house-sitting contract.’
She pulled away from him. ‘You’re really going to make me sign one of those?’
He unbuttoned her cotton dress and trailed kisses lower still. ‘You bet I am. I’m not letting you get away from me again.’ And he sealed the deal with a kiss that felt as though it would never end.
House-sitter Required
House Owner: Owen Harrison
Start Date: Now
End Date: Indefinitely…
Location: Rosie Cottage, Daisy Lane, Magnolia Creek
When I saw Rosie Cottage, I knew I’d found hidden beauty behind its mere existence. However, after restoring the cottage to its former glory, it still needs one final touch. I challenge you, Rosie Stevens, to turn it into a home filled with happiness, laughter and dreams that are nothing short of wonderful. If you agree to the following terms, then please sign below. And welcome home…
I, Rosie Stevens, promise to be the woman I want to be, not the woman anyone else expects me to be.
I will embrace life and take a chance on a little piece of wonderful.
I will embrace my past, rather than fear it, through beautiful music by playing the cello that has stayed quiet for too long.
And I promise to never, ever make Owen Harrison drive a pink car again!
Signed:Rosie Stevens
Acknowledgments
I’d like to thank Elissa Jans, volunteer firefighter and Community Safety Coordinator with Olinda Fire Brigade, Victoria, Australia, who answered my many research questions. Thank you too, to other members of the CFA who read passages of my story to enable me to make it realistic and technically accurate.
Thank you to my blog group, The Write Romantics, for being there to bounce ideas off, discuss characters and plot, and share in the ups and downs of the writing life. All ten of us have formed a lifelong friendship that is incredibly special to me. My thanks goes to my editor, Rachel Daven-Skinner, and to my proofreader, Stephanie Box. Thank you to Debbie Clement for designing a cover that I love.
Thank you to both my beta readers, Sharon and Alison. It’s always scary passing a manuscript over to people who love reading books in the same genre, so I was glad that both of you really enjoyed reading What Rosie Found Next.
And finally, as always, thank you to my husband and my children for giving me the support and encouragement to keep writing. I couldn’t do it without you.
About the Author
Helen J. Rolfe writes uplifting, contemporary fiction with characters to relate to and fall in love with.
Before she started writing books, Helen J. Rolfe worked in I.T. until she came to her senses and studied journalism and writing. She wrote articles for Women’s Health & Fitness magazines as well as newsletter content and media releases for a not-for-profit organisation. In 2011 the fiction bug bit and Helen has been writing fiction ever since.
After fourteen years of calling Australia home, Helen has returned to the UK with her husband and two children.
What Rosie Found Next is her third novel.
Find out more at www.helenjrolfe.com, and follow her on Twitter @HJRolfe.
Thank you so much for reading What Rosie Found Next, and I hope you enjoyed it. If you have the time I’d really appreciate it if you could leave an honest review on Amazon and/or Goodreads.
Helen J Rolfe.
Handle Me with Care
Does true love come along more than once in a lifetime?
Maddie Kershaw doesn’t think so. She lost the love of her life in the 9/11 attacks, and since then has hopped from one casual fling to the next. But when she delivers an erotic cake to a one-hundredth birthday party by mistake, she meets Evan and starts to believe in second chances … until she realises there’s a risk of getting hurt all over again.
Evan Quinn is serially single, yet when he meets Maddie he feels an instant connection, so much so that he confesses on their first date that he may have testicular cancer. Was it a mistake to tell her? He wants Maddie more than he has ever wanted any other woman. But he doesn’t want her pity.
With the odds stacked against them both, finding love won’t be easy. But beneath the Australian sun, a Happy Ever After could be worth fighting for.
The Friendship Tree
Is running away ever the answer?
Tamara Harding left the UK to join family in Australia, but more importantly, to put ten thousand miles between her and her ex, Bradley Cox. She is soon drawn in to the small community of Brewer Creek where she becomes the coordinator for an old fashioned Friendship Tree – a chart telling people who they can call on in times of trouble.
As she vows to start over, she meets Jake Manning – and life gets more complicated than she could ever have imagined. Jake is the direct competitor for the family business, and a man with a dark secret, and Tamara struggles to fight her attraction to him as she deals with secrets of her own and an ex who refuses to give up.
When danger descends on Brewer Creek in the form of Jake’s own past, Tamara soon realises the Friendship Tree does a lot more than organise fundraising events and working bees; it has the power to unite an entire town. But will Tamara see past the complications and allow herself a happy ending with Jake? Or will she run away again?