A Long-Lost Heiress and a Family Secret . . .

Nellie knows that life can be hard. Abandoned at birth, she grew up in foster homes, where she formed a deep bond with the man she would marry. But his death in Afghanistan leaves her a young widow with a little boy, and now she’s stranded at a truck stop, running out of money and hope. Fate has other plans for her—a kind-hearted ordained minister, Charlie, hires her to work at his restaurant. Grateful for the chance, she is unaware that she will be at the center of a startling chain of events. Charlie’s friend Mike, a retired army sergeant, stops in at the restaurant, sees Nellie, and becomes convinced that she is his long-lost daughter by the teenage bride he married before he shipped out overseas . . . and whose wealthy family, the Lawrences, ended the marriage. A black sheep of the Lawrence family, George, sees Nellie and thinks the same thing, and is determined to marry her, force the family to recognize her, and use the inheritance she will be entitled to. As George and Nellie make their way to a local festival, Mike tags along, convinced that he should be part of Nellie’s life. Will George succeed in hoodwinking the innocent young woman, or will rescue come in the form of Mike, and Deputy Sheriff Sam, who has always thought George is up to no good? Richly atmospheric, beautifully characterized, and deeply felt, this wonderful romantic thriller will leave you breathless at the intersection of fate and coincidence.

Lee Martin grew up on cattle ranches in northern California. Martin managed a travel agency and practiced law before taking an early retirement to write full time. Martin began writing in the third grade and sold 43 short stories in various genres before turning to novels and screenwriting. Martin’s 22 Western action novels include Shadow on the Mesa, which Martin adapted into a screenplay for the award-winning Hallmark Channel original movie of the same name, starring Kevin Sorbo and Meredith Baxter.