Series: Rescue Me #2
Publication date: November 17th, 2020
Synopsis:
When an embittered artist crosses paths with a young widow, the heat is on...
When personal chef and single mom Katie Walsh jumps back into the dating game, Leo Treversini's gaze in the doorway of a local bar lights up her whole body. Bumping into him a week later, Kate thinks fate is calling--until Leo's bitter words hit her like a punch to the gut.
Recently returned to the up-and-coming Corvallis neighborhood, metal artist and loner Leo feels the beautiful power of Katie's eyes like the flame from his torch, but discovering his muse is married and the young mother of three daughters cuts him to the quick.
Except... Katie is widowed, which means she's free to love again--if she can trust a man with her heart and her most precious gifts, her daughters. As Leo is free to love her, if he can overcome a past betrayal and believe in Katie's love. Add in the meddling community, Katie's family and teenage internet crime and it's going to be far from easy... or even likely.
Katie's love might be just the balm Leo's wounded heart needs, but will he have the courage to face his crushing past to accept it?
Can the artist with the wounded heart love his muse?
Available at:
Excerpt
"I can't think of a better way to end my day, Katie Walsh," Leo said into the phone when he answered, which immediately made her smile.
This man. How am I going to tell him we can't date? Even his phone voice stole into her body like lava and awakened a path throughout. And his words. A woman could get used to this. Too bad she'd have to save it all for her dream life. She could take all these delicious memories to her solitary island vacation and they could keep her company.
"Are you driving?" she asked. Normally she hated talking to people when they drove, because even if they were hands-free, she stressed for them. And they always sounded tinny and staticky, but not Leo. Of course his low smoky voice would power through even the car sounds.
"Yeah, darlin'," he said. Darlin'? Had she ever been anyone's darling, let alone someone as hot as Leo? "Coming home from a visit with my parents'."
"Oh," she said and sank down into the chaise lounge on the front porch. She had a blanket wrapped around her to ward off the chilly air, and a glass of red wine beside her. All the girls, including their rapscallion, Kitten, were asleep. It was late, and she should have been in bed, but unfortunately, she needed to get this call out of the way. However, now she wanted to savor the sound of his voice. "Was it a good visit?"
"Yeah, always is with them. We grilled out. Trying to soak up every last warm-ish night on their patio before the cold sinks her claws into town. Had my mom's cider doughnuts for dessert which means I might need a gazillion extra hours at the gym, but it was worth it. What are you doing?"
She didn't know which image she liked more, him eating cider donuts or him in workout clothes, sweaty, at the gym. Good Lord, she was a goner.
"Katie?" he prompted.
"You work out?" came her stupid reply. His chuckle shook her out of her Leo-induced sex haze. She blurted, "We can't date."
"Come again? How did me saying I work out take us to not dating?"
"You're my daughters' art teacher," she whispered, as if worried someone would hear her. Not that it mattered because everyone in her house knew before she did. Mr. Leo Treversini, PhD, was the new art teacher for the middle and high school. Her girls had shared this information with her in their very different ways. Brie had announced it as soon as she'd gotten home. And when Katie had asked Rosie's retreating back if it was true, her oldest had said, 'Yep,' before she'd escaped to her bedroom.
The icing, however, had been Cece's meltdown to rival all meltdowns because it wasn't fair, Leo was going to be her art teacher and her baby hadn't decided whether or not she was going to share Leo, my lion.
When had Cece decided Leo was hers? Another great parenting moment for Katie. Gold stars all around. Her youngest had already formed a serious attachment to the man which included calling him her lion, talking about him, his toast-making skills, his beautiful mother and his art classes. It would have been kind of cute if Katie hadn't decided she couldn't date one of her daughters' teachers.
"Thank you for the congratulations on my new job. Please keep your praise to a minimum," he said, full of humor. And dang, she couldn't help it--the man made her smile like no one ever had. "I am in fact. Accepted the position this week. Thought art teachers were genuinely liked?"
"I can't date my daughters' teacher."
"All right, then I'll put in my notice tomorrow." This time she laughed.
"Leo," she admonished.
"Katie." He mocked her in his charming fun way. It was as though witnessing her crazy life made her more likable in his eyes. "Technically I wasn't employed with the district yet when I asked you out and you said, 'Yes'. Although I had just come from the interview."
"Wait, what's a man with a PhD doing teaching kids?"
"Not to toot my own horn, but shouldn't we want highly educated people teaching our kids?"
"Absolutely," she said. It was one more thing to like about Leo. People should demand the best of the best instructing their kids. "It... I... Is it a step down for you? I mean, most people in our country don't get a PhD with the intent to teach middle school, or, all the guardian angels help you, high school."
"It is not a step down," he said. "But you're right, I never thought I would teach, even at a higher level. I was one hundred percent focused on making art. It turns out life had other plans. But now I get to create and influence young minds and I couldn't be prouder to work with those kids."
What other plans did life have for you, Leo? "Maybe you're crazy. Most of us want to run screaming from middle schoolers, me included," Katie said.
Puget Sound based writer, Sara Ohlin is a mom, wannabe photographer, obsessive reader, ridiculous foodie, and the author of the contemporary romance novels, Handling the Rancher, Salvaging Love, Seducing the Dragonfly and Igniting Love.
She has over fifteen years of creative non-fiction and memoir writing experience, and you can find her essays at Anderbo.com, Feminine Collective, Mothers Always Write, Her View from Home, and in anthologies such as Are We Feeling Better Yet? Women Speak about Healthcare in America, Take Care: Tales, Tips, & Love from Women Caregivers, and Chicken Soup for the Soul.
Although she's the author of many essays about life, grief, motherhood and the connections we make through delicious food and shared meals, Sara loves creating imaginary worlds with tight-knit communities in her romance novels. She credits her mother, Mary, Nora Roberts, and Rosamunde Pilcher for her love of romance.
If she's not reading or writing, you will most likely find her in the kitchen creating scrumptious meals with her two kids and amazing husband, or perhaps cooking up her next love story. She once met a person who both "didn't read books" and wasn't "that into food" and it nearly broke her heart.
Hosted by:
