Snowbound Cinderella

Snowbound Cinderella
Ruth Langan

It might have been a scene from a hit romantic comedy–but actress Ciara Wilde wasn't acting, and nobody was laughing when she skipped town on the eve of her tinsel town wedding. Luckily she's got the keys to the Fortune family ski cabin, and perhaps a chance to regain her sanity.No chance of that when she faces down an intruder in the middle of the night. But Jace Lockhart isn't a thief, just a weary, beaten war reporter crashing his buddy's cabin for some serious alone time after a particularly brutal assignment. Unexpectedly snowbound, the two runaways find the healing they need in each other's arms. But when the snow melts, they awkwardly retreat to their very different lives–a little in love, a little confused and a lot less certain about what they want in life, except perhaps…a chance with each other.

THE TEXAS TATTLER

All the news that’s barely fit to print!

Fortune Patriarch’s “Secret” Nuptials on Hold

Despite a string of dead ends in the FBI investigation to recover his kidnapped grandson, Ryan Fortune, head of the Texas Fortune empire, has sworn that round-the-clock search efforts will continue. And if a national baby hunt isn’t enough to keep a mogul up nights, his soon-to-be ex-wife, Sophia, is playing pinch-’n’-spit in divorce negotiations—and holding out for the farm, or in the Fortunes’ case, the whole dang ranch.

In the whirlwind of scandal, Ryan and Lily Redgrove have put off plans for their longawaited wedding. Between shelling out a multimillion dollar ransom, an astronomical divorce settlement and enough cash for a Texas-sized engagement solitaire, will our very own “poor little rich boy” have more than a few measly million left to pay for the wedding-to-end-all-weddings?

All the world’s a-flutter with the shocking news of superstar sexpot Ciara Wilde’s shocking disappearance—from her own Hollywood nuptials! Tattler roving reporters swear to a Ciara sighting at a remote cabin inhabited by dashing international TV newsman Jace Lockhart, Fortune in-law. Ciara may have resisted the casting couch, but can she keep from cozying up with Jace on the cabin couch…?

About the Author

RUTH LANGAN

is an award-winning and bestselling author of contemporary and historical romance. Her books have been finalists for the Romance Writers of America’s RITA® Award. Over the years, she has given dozens of print, radio and TV interviews, including Good Morning America and CNN News, and has been quoted in such diverse publications as the Wall Street Journal, Cosmopolitan and the Detroit Free Press. Married to her childhood sweetheart, she has raised five children and lives in Michigan, the state where she was born and raised. Ruth enjoys hearing from her readers. Letters can be sent via e-mail to ryanlangan@aol.com or via her Web site at www.ryanlangan.com.

Snowbound Cinderella

Ruth Langan

www.millsandboon.co.uk (http://www.millsandboon.co.uk)

Meet the Fortunes of Texas

Jace Lockhart: This veteran reporter was under doctor’s orders to relax, but the sexy stranger trapped in the isolated cabin with him was sending his blood pressure sky-high. And soon, warm embraces became more than a means for survival.

Ciara Wilde: The gorgeous movie star wasn’t used to men loving her for herself. She wanted a man who saw beneath her silver-screen persona—and she was determined to find out if her romance with Jace was more than a snowbound affair.

Matthew and Claudia Fortune: Wedded bliss turned to sorrow when their precious baby boy was kidnapped. Will the stress of waiting and wondering about the fate of their little Bryan take a toll on their marriage?

Eden Fortune: This single mom didn’t plan to fall in love again, but that didn’t mean her four-year-old son couldn’t ask for a father….

For Nora, who keeps challenging me to fly

And for Tom, who never lets me fall

Contents

Chapter One (#u4d737d74-5e11-58fe-b0ad-9323a02daefb)

Chapter Two (#ua1b03aa7-fb55-50ea-a028-4e53e63b86b7)

Chapter Three (#uddd08350-6d4e-5a44-84be-20bc9e17b8f1)

Chapter Four (#u62e8594a-2e37-588d-9427-05d24080d2cb)

Chapter Five (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Six (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Seven (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Eight (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Nine (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Ten (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Eleven (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Twelve (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Thirteen (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Fourteen (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Fifteen (#litres_trial_promo)

One

Jace Lockhart maneuvered the Jeep up the steep mountain road. Every once in a while he cracked the window and sucked in frigid air to stay alert. He’d been awake for more than twenty-four hours now. First the flight from Bosnia to Paris to New York. Then the long lines for Customs at La Guardia. Then another flight to El Paso, where he’d waited yet again to rent a vehicle.

He opened the window, filling his lungs. Then, for good measure, he fiddled with the radio until he found Springsteen and cranked it up a notch. The motion of the windshield wipers seemed just a little too hypnotic. He didn’t need to fall asleep at the wheel. On top of that, the rain had turned to snow, and the winding roads were slick with ice, demanding complete concentration. He couldn’t afford to take his mind off the treacherous route for even a second.

Not that he minded. Anything was better than the dark thoughts that had been crowding his mind for the past months. All he’d been able to think about was Ireina. The way she’d looked, in the instant when the bomb had struck. And the sound of her screams, echoing through his mind, as she’d been torn from his arms. And the shattered body he’d had to identify at the makeshift morgue.

Even in sleep there was no release. The sights, the sounds, the horror of it all stalked him nightly, leaving him dreading a return to his bed.

It had been Brad Thompson, the overseas director of news at the network, who had first broached the subject of a leave of absence. At first Jace had resisted, believing that hard work was the cure. He’d plunged himself into even more work than before. He accepted endless assignments that nobody else wanted to cover, in far-flung towns and villages in eastern Europe. He’d slept in run-down hostels and flea-bitten inns, chasing stories of hatred and bombing and terrorism, of neighbor attacking neighbor, village against village, until, eventually, he’d begun to think there was nothing good or decent left in the world. The news events he found himself covering had begun to seem like one big nightmare, playing over and over.

He’d eventually become convinced that what he needed was a complete change of scenery, if he was ever going to put the past behind him and get on with his life.

This offer seemed heaven-sent. When his sister, Mary Ellen, had suggested it, Jace had leapt at the chance. What he wanted, even more than to be surrounded by loving family, was solitude. Some time to heal the scars, both physically and emotionally. Then, and only then, would he be ready to be around people again.

He rubbed absently at his leg, as if to erase the pain that had become his constant companion. The surgeon had said it should mend in time. But Jace suspected that the shadow of pain would linger for a lifetime. Like the scar that marred his right cheek. Like the memory of Ireina. Even the lightest touch, or the slightest thought, reminded him that both his scars and his memories were still tender. And if he probed too deeply, he’d expose a nerve.

He spotted the little country church by the side of the road. Lights from inside flooded through the stained-glass windows like a beacon in the storm. If the driving should become impossible, he decided, he’d return here and seek sanctuary.

He turned the wheel, swinging off the main road and onto a dirt lane that led to the cabin. The lane was overgrown with tall trees, their branches quickly becoming heavy with snow. The steeper the climb, the more treacherous the road became, until at last, after several twists and turns, it seemed impossible to go on. The car swerved and nearly went off the road before the tires gripped and the Jeep darted ahead, coming to a stop inches from the cabin.

Jace felt a sense of relief that he’d finally reached his destination. Another hour and even the main roads would be impassable.

He switched off the engine and sat a moment, staring at the darkened log cabin. It was little more than a blur against the curtain of falling snow. The original cabin had been one large room, with a small galley kitchen and a loft that served as a bedroom. That would have been more than enough for his needs. But in recent years a master suite had been added, with a king-size bed and walk-in closet, as well as a bathroom containing both a shower and a hot tub. He intended to put it all to good use, especially the hot tub. It might be exactly what his injuries required to heal. If not, at least he would have the healing power of solitude.