Hold Me. Susan Mallery

      

      New York Times bestselling author Susan Mallery’s classic blend of lighthearted humor and intense emotional conflict works its magic on two newcomers to the California town of Fool’s Gold, which Library Journal calls “a setting so real and appealing readers will want to start scoping out real estate.”

      Destiny Mills believes passion has its place—like in the lyrics of the country songs that made her parents famous. After a childhood full of drama and heartache, she wants a life that’s calm. Safe. Everything that Kipling Gilmore isn’t. Her temporary assignment with the Fool’s Gold search and rescue team puts her in delicious proximity to the former world-class skier every day. Part of her aches to let go for once…the rest is terrified what’ll happen if she does.

      Though an accident ended his career, Kipling still lives for thrills—and a hot fling with a gorgeous redhead like Destiny would be a welcome diversion. Yet beneath his new coworker’s cool facade is a woman who needs more than he’s ever given. With her, he’s ready to take the risk. But love, like skiing, is all about trust—and before you soar, you have to be willing to fall.

       Praise for New York Times bestselling author Susan Mallery

      “Susan Mallery is one of my favorites.”

      —#1 New York Times bestselling author Debbie Macomber

      “The wildly popular and prolific Mallery can always be counted on to tell an engaging story of modern romance.”

      —Booklist on Summer Nights

      “This book is a dynamite read filled with humor, compassion and sexy sizzle.”

      —RT Book Reviews on Three Little Words, Top Pick!

      “In her second Blackberry Island novel, Mallery has again created an engrossing tale of emotional growth and the healing power of friendship as these three ‘sisters’ meet life’s challenges.”

      —Library Journal on Three Sisters

      “Both smile and tear inducing. Mallery is one of a kind.”

      —RT Book Reviews on Two of a Kind, Top Pick!

      “Mallery delivers another engaging romance in magical Fool’s Gold.”

      —Kirkus Reviews on Just One Kiss

      “Mallery infuses her story with eccentricity, gentle humor, and small-town shenanigans, and readers…will enjoy the connection between Heidi and Rafe.”

      —Publishers Weekly on Summer Days

      “Romance novels don’t get much better than Mallery’s expert blend of emotional nuance, humor and superb storytelling.”

      —Booklist

      Hold Me

      Susan

      Mallery

       www.millsandboon.co.uk

      MILLS & BOON

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      This book is dedicated by one of my favorite readers:

      To all Susan Mallery’s readers,

      may you enjoy her stories as much as I do.

      —a devoted romance reader, Jan W.

      Contents

       Cover

       Back Cover Text

      Praise

       Title Page

       Dedication

      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

       CHAPTER FIFTEEN

       CHAPTER SIXTEEN

       CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

       CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

       CHAPTER NINETEEN

       Extract

       Copyright

       CHAPTER ONE

      NO ONE WOKE UP in the morning and thought to themselves, Today I’m going to get lost in the woods. But even without a plan, it happened.

      Maybe it was simply that innate human need to explore. Maybe it was bad luck, or maybe it was just people being idiots. Grandma Nell had always loved to say, “Beauty is skin deep, but stupid goes clear down to the bone.” Not that Destiny Mills was going to be judgmental either way. People got lost, and her job was to make sure they got found. It was kind of like being a superhero. Only instead of laser vision or invisibility, she had a brilliant computer software program and a finely honed search and rescue team.

      Well, technically the team wasn’t hers. It belonged to whatever town or county had hired her company. Her firm had created the software program, and she was one of three facilitators who helped those wanting to use it. She showed up, trained the search and rescue group and then moved on to the next assignment.

      If it was Monday, she must be in Fool’s Gold, she thought humorously as she stepped into her small, temporary office. Fool’s Gold, California. Population 125,482 per the sign she’d seen on her way in. Nestled in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada mountains, the town attracted tourists by the thousands. They came in winter to ski, in summer to hike and camp and all year long to attend the dozens of festivals that had put the community on the map.

      None of which concerned her. What was of more interest were the literally hundreds of thousands of acres right outside the city borders. Uncharted