A Temporary Courtship. Jenna Mindel
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An Inconvenient Attraction
Before leaving for a coveted two-year musical residency, cellist Bree Anderson is taking one month for a relaxing lakefront vacation. But she’s thrown off track by the instant attraction she feels for one of the resort’s instructors. The last thing local Darren Zelinsky needs is a privileged summer resident like the fiancée who jilted him. Bree’s no threat to his heart...until he uncovers the vulnerable woman beneath the pristine exterior. And soon Bree is in danger of falling for the rugged outdoorsman. The clock on her stay is ticking and Bree’s facing an impossible choice—between a lifelong dream and a lifetime love.
Her eyes met his, finally.
He ran his fingertips where her dimples showed when she smiled. Bree wasn’t smiling now. “Why are you sorry?”
“Because I have feelings for you. Because I’m leaving soon.”
Hearing her admit she cared did something to him. Something he didn’t expect. Something he didn’t want to lose. “Do you really have to go way out to Seattle?”
“Don’t even think of asking me to stay.”
He didn’t want to let this die, but then, what kind of chance did they have? “We can keep in touch.”
That sounded lame, even to his ears. They’d known each other a couple of weeks but it was long enough to have feelings for each other. Real feelings he should know better than to pursue. Hadn’t he learned that whirlwind romances didn’t last?
Glancing at Bree’s hand wrapped firmly in his own made him wonder if maybe they could—with the right woman.
Bree was real and she cared. Problem was, he didn’t want her to leave. But if he asked her to stay, he might lose her forever.
JENNA MINDEL lives in northwest Michigan with her husband and their three dogs. A 2006 Romance Writers of America RITA® Award finalist, Jenna has answered her heart’s call to write inspirational romances set near the Great Lakes.
A Temporary Courtship
Jenna Mindel
Then the LORD God said,
“It is not good that the man should be alone;
I will make him a helper fit for him.”
—Genesis 2:18
To my husband, for supporting my dream.
I love you!
Contents
Conservation officer Darren Zelinsky blew out his breath and stared at the Bay Willows Association community building. He’d been here more times than he cared to remember with Raleigh, the woman he’d once planned to marry. He wasn’t here today by choice either.
Bay Willows was a private summer resort located within his hometown of Maple Springs, Michigan. The large white two-story Victorian structure before him, complete with a broad porch on one side, reminded him of what he’d lost. And what he hoped to gain by coming here.
Ice cream socials were held on that porch. The last time he’d been to an ice cream social two years ago with his girl, it had taken every ounce of willpower to play nice with people he’d resented since he was kid. People who’d looked down their noses at a local, making him feel like an awkward teen trying to protect his turf.
Darren had Local Yokel stamped on his forehead, and that wasn’t ever going to change. He didn’t want it to. He loved not only Maple Springs but also the entire Tip of the Mitt. It was why he was so good at his job with the state’s Department of Natural Resources.
The late April afternoon had turned warm and sunny. A perfect day for mushrooming. Teri, his supervisor, had asked him to fill in for her wild edibles class. This wasn’t for fun, it was work. This was the opportunity he needed, too, because he wanted her job.
Rumor had it that Teri might not return from maternity leave with her late-in-life