LITMIR.BIZ

      Contents

      Chapter One

      Chapter Two

      Chapter Three

      Chapter Four

      Chapter Five

      Chapter Six

      Chapter Seven

      Chapter Eight

      Chapter Nine

      Chapter Ten

      Chapter Eleven

      Chapter Twelve

      Chapter Thirteen

      Chapter Fourteen

      Epilogue

      Chapter One

      “I know he said the place was located in a pristine wilderness, but this is ridiculous!” Mandy Parkerson mumbled aloud as her car continued to barrel along the gravel road. She hadn’t seen another vehicle heading in either direction since she’d left the small town of Julian, Colorado, forty minutes ago.

      “If they don’t do some serious improvement to this road, they’ll never have repeat guests. And those who come for the first time might turn around halfway. Especially in winter.”

      The car bumped and skidded, gravel spewing. The road had obviously been graded at some point, and gravel laid down. But it was already showing ruts from heavy traffic. She didn’t even want to speculate what it would be like in rain or a snowstorm. Thank heaven for good weather.

      She gripped the steering wheel tighter, easing up on the accelerator. “Hang on, babykins, it can’t be that much farther. He said thirty miles from town, and we’ve gone at least that.”

      Six months pregnant, Mandy constantly talked to her baby. She’d read somewhere that children recognized their mother’s voice from their time in the womb. So she talked frequently, wanting her infant to know her from the first moment. To know she loved it completely no matter what happened. That she was a mother to be counted on, and she would never desert her child—not as her father had. Or her mother. Or her baby’s father.

      “At least I think it can’t be much farther,” she murmured, peering into the distance. It wasn’t an easy feat with soaring lodgepole pines lining both sides of the road. The long-range view was where the road cut a swath through the tall timber as it crested a hill. Beyond was the endless blue of a clear autumn sky.

      She felt a hint of trepidation as she surveyed the wilderness, but pushed it away. She needed this job. It had sounded perfect when she’d heard about it in the employment agency in Denver—a temporary secretary’s position for two months. One that paid almost twice what she’d been earning in the city, with accommodations included. It would tap into her expertise in the building industry, as well. It was the perfect job, even if it was clear across the state from where she lived.

      The remote construction site would be in operation only another six to eight weeks before winter closed in and made further work impossible until next spring.

      The timing had been perfect. Getting away from Denver had seemed perfect. But now reality began to seep in. Julian was a quaint little mountain town, with one main street and two secondary streets lined with small shops and businesses—and the county’s hospital. Mandy didn’t want to forget about medical facilities, not that she expected to need them. She had plenty of time to decide on and settle into a new place before the baby was due. But it didn’t hurt to know where the nearest medical assistance was—just in case.

      “I sure hope it’s not much farther, because if I don’t find that construction site soon, I’ll have to find a convenient tree!”

      One of the definite downsides to pregnancy was the frequent need for rest-room facilities—which weren’t available along the side of this excuse for a road.

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