After all, the boy looked up to him, and desperately needed a role model. Though a childhood spent in foster care had hardened Collin, Mia "would" reveal the caring man she knew was inside. After all, breaking through his gruff exterior would fulfill a boy's Christmas wish... and maybe even her own.

    Promise of Forever by Patt Marr released on Apr 25, 2006 is available now for purchase.

    So when Garth Elkton offered his ranch for the troubled teens she worked with, she found it hard to trust him.And yet her battered heart ached to believe in the love he offered her... .

    Of course, there was the little matter of his trust fund to contend with -- who would have thought his late father would demand he be "made over" before he could receive it?It was the biggest challenge of personal-image consultant Isobel Buckley's career -- turn a flower shop owner into a polished, urbane man. Image was everything, after all, particularly to this high-strung beauty. Her new client's carefree life was certainly not the "in" thing, but the kind heart beneath his pinstripes might just convince her that love was back in style.