Yet the rugged Texan who suddenly appeared at Jane Gilliam's side was real enough...and so was the soul-scorching kiss they shared as the bells chimed on New Year's Eve. Only Jorge Mendoza wasn't the happily-ever-after type. Or was he?As the confirmed bachelor of the Mendoza clan, Jorge had a reputation to uphold. Until he tasted the sweet passion this far-from-plain Jane was offering. It started as an innocent dare. But was it blossoming into a love that was tempting the commitment-shy playboy to change his wandering ways forever?

    But this time it's personal. The Fortune scion has just been handed an ultimatum: marry or lose his claim on the family business. Luckily, the perfect bride is only a cubicle away. Who better to complete the marriage merger of the year than his loyal assistant, Deanna Gurney?Being Drew's fake fiancee has its advantages...especially since Deanna's been in love with her heartbreakingly handsome boss forever. Drew may have made it clear he isn't in it for the long haul. But with another Fortune wedding in the offing, Deanna just might succeed in turning a temporary business arrangement into a permanent takeover...of a certain reticent playboy's heart!

    But trying to break down the walls that surround Chase Fortune is almost as challenging as motherhood....A Home for Christmasby Barbara BoswellAs CEO of a major corporation, Ryder Fortune has little time for romance--until the magic of the holiday season works its way into his hardened heart. And so does his assistant, Joanna Chandler....The Christmas Childby Linda TurnerA skilled tracker, Hunter Fortune has never prayed so hard for a case to have a happy ending. But with Naomi Windsong's little girl missing, and her biological father the prime suspect, time becomes his greatest enemy...and love the only thing that will set him free.

    He's smart enough to stay far away from love -- he's learned it only brings heartache. But then he meets events planner Amy Burke-Sinclair, who has beauty and the brains to match -- and is just as cautious as he is. Despite that, she seduces him into a night of passion that leaves him stunned, and ready to admit that perhaps he doesn't have all the answers.When they have to work together on a function honoring patriarch Ryan Fortune, Steven finds himself falling even harder. He soon changes his mind about the benefits of love and commitment...but will Amy change hers?

    But in one terrifying moment, a freak tornado had taken down the Red Rock airport, leaving Scott trapped beneath the rubble. Fate had stranded him with quirky, unforgettable Christina Hastings, and in those death-defying moments, the wealthy bachelor fell in love.A snack-bar waitress with a heartbreaking past, Christina knew better than to believe in fairy tales. She'd found safety, even passion, in Scott's strong arms, but happy endings just didn't happen to a girl like her—especially with a man like Scott. Yet she was finding it harder and harder to resist the Southern gentleman's many charms….

    Lucinda Brightwater is beginning to feel as though time is her enemy. Besides the clinic, she desperately wants a child, but how likely is that for a single thirty-four-year-old who works long hours-with no man on the horizon?So when a man who's hard to resist makes her an offer that's hard to refuse, Lucinda agrees to marry Holden Fortune for one million dollars. The notorious bachelor needs a "respectable" wife in order to claim his inheritance. Lucinda needs her clinic. The terms? One year. In name only. No strings.No strings, maybe, but there's a lot of heat, making it hard for cooler heads to prevail, especially since it appears Lucinda's other dream is now on its way....

    Embittered, the loner lawman heads home to Shadow Creek, Texas, a town full of unsettling memories for him. But Knox is floored when he discovers that the woman he loved and lost has a son that looks just like him.  Allison Rafferty thought she was doing the right thing by not telling Knox about young Cody all those years ago. Now the man she still loves insists on getting to know his son. And as a threat looms over Shadow Creek, they'll both discover just how far a Colton will go to protect what's theirs.

    She has an adorable baby girl, Piper; supportive parents; good friends. Best of them all is Colton Foster, her longtime neighbor from the ranch next door. He always seems to be around when she needs him. Trouble is, she may be starting to need him a bit too much.She's off-limits, Colton keeps telling himself. The tall, muscular rancher turns to mush every time he sees Stacey. But falling for his little sister's best friend seems wrong on so many levels. She's on the rebound. She's got a baby. She's...complicated. What's a big-hearted cowboy to do?

    When a business trip to Dubai reveals the key to a contentious mystery in the world of Thoroughbred racing, Julia knows her chance has arrived. But then she's caught snooping…and held in the sold custody of Lord Harrison Rochester!As long as it takes. That's what Harrison vows when he holds Julia captive at his desert estate. He'll discover what the beauty has been up to – even if the search leads to an attraction neither could have imagined. But when Julia's safety is compromised, they are faced with saying goodbye…or saying "I do."

    But Cupid had another plan....MARRYING MANDY by "USA TODAY" bestselling author Susan MalleryEight years ago, Mandy Carter and Rick Benson shared a whirlwind romance--and a painfully short-lived marriage. Now that Rick was back in her life...back in her arms...would history repeat itself, or would their future hold a passion powerful enough to last forever?COURTING CASSANDRA by national bestselling author Teresa SouthwickCassie Brightwell thought she was over and done with loving Kyle Stratton, her older brother's best friend. But when Kyle unexpectedly turned up--as her next-door neighbor--Cassie realized that her school age crush was still going strong. This time around, the two were determined not to make the same mistakes from the past--even if it meant risking all!

    And Michelle Godrey had loved him forever, the mysterious rancher with the dark eyes, her protector and guardian angel. Now she'd blossomed into a woman. Could Michelle ever cast aside the shadows between them? Could she show Gabriel that their Lone Star love was true? Don't miss the classic tale by Diana Palmer, included here: MAGGIE'S DAD Hot-tempered rancher Powell Long had once stolen Antonia Hayes's heart. But their young love had been torn asunder, and Antonia fled. But now she's back, finding Powell raising a daughter alone. Fatherhood hasn't diminished the helpless attraction she feels whenever he is near. Is taking a chance at a future family with Powell simply too irresistible?

    When scampering Fred becomes friendly with the neighbor's pedigreed Bouvier, Steph meets the very handsome Nick Davis. With a broken engagement and a busy job, Nick isn't open to love and romance. Especially when Steph needs an escort to a wedding, and Nick agrees to be her not-really-date. But through dog walks, long talks and a shared love of the Lord, Steph realizes there's some unexpected groom-in-training going on, too!

    The Wrangler And The Runaway Mom by RaeAnne Thayne released on Aug 25, 1999 is available now for purchase.

    The pretty daughter of a wife-beating drunk, it is no surprise that she has grown up afraid of her own shadow. That is until 'Battling Bessie Ruddick' takes the young girl under her wing and into the heart of her bustling family.Growing into an attractive young woman, Mary Ann yearns to be loved and when her affection for Bessie's son, Dan, is finally returned she becomes a skipper's wife. But the arduous life aboard ship is clearly not for her and only the arrival of a daughter, Lizzie, seems to hold the marriage together. Yet, tragically, the family is torn apart when Mary Ann is seduced by the promise of a happier life.Although bewildered by her mother's disappearance, it is now up to Lizzie to help her father. For she, unlike Mary Ann, has inherited Dan's love of the river. But then, disturbingly, her life starts to follow the same pattern as her mother's . . .

    Then Gabrielle discovered she and Paul shared a good deal more than the rent?including one outrageous claw-footed bathtub located smack in the middle of the kitchen?and things started heating up!For Gabrielle, the most irresistible distraction of all was the sexy, blue-eyed renovator himself. Paul was the most romantic man she’d ever met! Suddenly, practical, down-to-earth Gabrielle was dreaming of magical nights spent in Paul’s arms. What had come over her? Was it the man, the moon?or love?