Love on the Line by Kirsten Fullmer

 

Andrea takes a job building a pipeline through the mountains of West Virginia. 

Cold, mud, family drama, and an all-male crew, are only a few of the problems she encounters.

Love On the Line 1

Women At Work Series Book 1

by Kirsten Fullmer

Genre: Women’s Fiction, Coming of Age, Small Town Romance

Her dad always said A little dirt never hurt anybody. He was wrong.

Andrea’s excitement about her first job engineering a pipeline through the mountains of West Virginia turns to disaster when she faces grueling work, harsh weather, and crushing homesickness. If she can’t pull herself together and keep up, she’ll be sent home.

When she dropped out of grad school to work on the line with Grandpa Buck, her parents were disappointed, widening a bitter family divide. If she goes home now, she’ll miss the opportunity to know Buck and lose his respect as well.

There's one worker, a foreman, who might offer comfort and support, but when Andrea finally trusts him, things get even more complicated.

Fans of In Five Years, Reminders of Him, and Regretting You, are devouring Kirsten Fullmer’s imaginative, gritty, coming-of-age romance.

One-Click Love on the Line to start the uniquely engaging journey today!

 

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 Nick and Rooster’s conversation lagged as they both paused to watch Andy and Buck approach. The afternoon had grown warm, the hottest so far, and the men waved at dust and bugs that crawled and bit, making them miserable.

            Buck stopped and bobbed a nod at the two foremen. “Men.”

            “Sir,” both mumbled in reply.

Buck grunted, then headed on past the men with Andy at his heels. As she hustled pass Rooster, her eyes met his and she couldn’t help but notice the intensity there.

She tripped over a rut and ran several steps ahead to regain her balance. Stopping to readjust the stake bag on her shoulder, she waved away a sweat bee. “Go ahead, Andy, trip and fall at his feet,” she muttered under her breath.

Two steps later she lurched to a halt and dropped the bag to clutch at her underarm where something, more than likely the sweat bee, stung her with a vengeance.

Shouting curses, she danced and twisted in a circle, yanking at her safety vest and shirt and grabbing at her sports bra in an attempt the stop the burning sting. Finally, she ripped one arm out of her shirt and vest. Shoving her fingers up under the tight sweaty bra, she scooped out the bee and jumped back as its body fell to the dirt.

She stomped on the bee and kinked her neck, trying to examine her armpit area, but then she remembered where she was. She froze with one hand still up the side of her bra. Her head came up, only to find every man on the right-of-way, numbering well over thirty, staring at her in amazement.

“Need a hand?” Nick called out with a grin.

“It was a bee—” she started, then with a snort of disgust, she yanked her hand from her bra. Hefting the heavy bag, she realized her shirt and safety vest were still bunched up around one side of her neck, leaving her arm and her stomach half exposed. Three more cuss words escaped as she dropped the bag and fumbled back into her clothing, with all eyes watching her every move.

The sting continued to burn as she grabbed the stake bag and stomped past Buck, with her cheeks red and hot.

“What was that all about?” the old man asked as she passed.

Ignoring him, Andy continued up the right-of-way.

***

            Rooster smoothed his fingers down his beard trying to hide a laugh as he watched Andy and Buck retreat. Nick hooted by his side, cackling with the other hands as they regaled Andy tearing off her shirt. Rooster’s hand dropped and he frowned, wondering how bad the sting was. He’d had a sweat bee trapped in his pants once, and it was a pain he still remembered.

Love on the Line 2

Women at Work Book 2

Andy could only stare, wide-eyed, at the keys in her hand. She couldn’t move, couldn’t think. Only foremen got a company truck.

Andy is pleased to work with Grandpa Buck again, even though the long hours limit her time with Rooster. But her contentment is cut short when a serious on-the-job accident tips the scale of leadership, throwing Rooster and Andy into conflict.

Rooster must prove he is unbiased toward Andy and her work, or lose his promotion. When her parents show up, Andy has to deal with Rooster, her mother’s interference, and her own insecurities to keep the job going. If she can’t cope she’ll lose her job, and worse yet, she’ll let down Buck.

If Andy and Rooster can’t find a way to work together and complete the pipeline, their relationship is over.

Fans of In Five Years, Reminders of Him, and Regretting You, are devouring Kirsten Fullmer’s imaginative, gritty, coming-of-age pipeline books.

One-Click Love on the Line 2 to continue Andy’s exceptional journey today!

 

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Rooster forked a pork chop onto his plate and dug in, cutting off a big bite. He popped it in his mouth and watched Andy as he chewed.

She tried not to squirm, but he could see her discomfort. One of his brows quirked up.

Andy dished a helping of salad onto her plate, careful not to look up at him.

He cut another bite off his chop. Silence filled the room, tense and palpable, like the room was too small. Reaching for his glass, he caught her sneaking a peak at him.

After several gulps of water, he settled his glass back on the table, took his fork in one hand and his knife in the other, and waited. She was only demure when she knew she was in the wrong.

When she realized he wasn’t eating, her eyes met his. “What’s wrong?” she asked innocently. “Is the pork okay?”

“Why do you want to go to some gas station on the only night we don’t have to go to sleep at eight o-clock? You usually want to…” He intentionally let the sentence drop and waggled his eyebrows to make her blush. She was so cute when she was timid.

“We won’t need to stay late,” she backpedaled, “I was talking to Nick about it and—”

“Oh, here we go,” he interrupted. “This is about Nick isn’t it?”

She put her fork on the table. “What’s your problem with Nick?”

He shook his head. “You told him you’d invite that new coating girl, didn’t you?” He wasn’t asking, it was a statement.

Andy’s chin came up. “She happens to be the coating foreman.”

“Whatever,” he snorted, and went back to cutting his meat.

Andy grinned wickedly. “She could demand that you all address her as foreperson, you know.”

Rooster snorted at her dilutional comment.

Andy pursed her lips, knowing full well that the pipeline was still in the 1950s when it came to women’s rights. But she adjusted her train of thought and continued. “Why do you think this has anything to do with me talking to Nick?”

His chewing stopped and he gave her an oh please, look.

She cleared her throat and looked away, poking a bite of salad onto her fork. “Okay, her name may have come up.”

Rooster took another long drink of water.

“Would it kill us to be social?” Andy retorted. “We never go anywhere but work.”

 “We work eighty hours a week!”

“That’s beside the point,” she huffed, sticking the forkful of salad in her mouth.

“Is it?”

She chewed and swallowed. “You just don’t want to bother,” she said with a flounce.

“This is overcooked,” he muttered, sawing away at his pork chop. It was dry and chewy, he’d done a poor job of it.

Dinner continued in silence with both parties casting glances at the other, but neither one spoke. When they finished eating, they stood and carried their dishes to the sink. Rooster ran hot, soapy water as Andy scraped their scraps into the trash and returned to the table for the rest of the dishes.

Silence reigned, leaving only the sound of plates clinking and water running as Rooster washed and rinsed the dishes, and Andy dried. When the dishes were washed, he drained the water and watched as Andy put the last plate in the specially designed drawer. When she turned back to him, he took up the end of her dishtowel, pulling her to him. His hands circled her waist. “If you’d like me to take you out Saturday night, just say so.”

Andy didn’t meet his eye.

But Rooster knew her well, and still very much enjoyed her attitudes. He tilted her head up with an index finger under her chin. “You’re something else, you know that?”

Losing all track of thought, Andy fell under his spell. Her pupils dilated and her lips parted. She didn’t need to say anything, he knew he had her.

Leaning down, he teased kisses along her jaw, causing a moan to slip from her lips. Her arms came up to circle his neck and his kisses wandered to her cheek, then her mouth.

Eagerly, she kissed him back, deepening both the kiss and his desire. He scooped her up and carried her toward the bedroom.

Andy leaned into his shoulder, filled with anticipation. She nibbled at his neck, ran her fingers through his hair, and a dreamy smile settled over her face.

He placed her on the bed, certain that somewhere in that woman’s brain of hers, she was already wondering what she’d wear on their Saturday night date to the gas station.  

Kirsten is a writer with a love of art and design. She worked in the engineering field, taught college, and consulted free lance. Due to health problems, she retired in 2012 to travel with her husband. They live and work full time in a 40' travel trailer with their little dog Bingo. Besides writing romance novels, she enjoys selling art on Etsy and spoiling their four grandchildren.

As a writer, Kirsten's goal is to create strong female characters who face challenging, painful, and sometimes comical situations. She believes that the best way to deal with struggle, is through friendship and women helping women. She knows good stories are based on interesting and relatable characters.

 

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BRING ON THE BRIDES!

 By Caroline Clemmons

The bachelors of Tarnation, Texas threaten to leave unless marriageable women come to town. Wealthy widow Lydia Harrison and her friend Sophia Gaston travel to Richmond, Virginia, where Lydia was raised. Lydia interviews young women who respond to her newspaper notice, but not everyone is accepted. Seven girls travel to Tarnation and live with Lydia until they find a husband. Lydia hosts receptions, dances, and dinners so the women can meet the sixteen bachelors she has invited to participate.

Each story in the Bride Brigade Series stands alone but is more fun if read in order. They are avaible in e-book and paperback. The books are enrolled in Kindle Unlimited.Most of the characters get at least a mention in the other books.

 

Here is the summary of Book One, JOSEPHINE:

Josephine Nailor has good reasons not to trust men, especially those who hold an office. She isn’t even certain she wants to marry, but takes a job assisting the owner of the mercantile, Michael Buchanan. He, on the other hand, is happy owning the store and being mayor. All he needs now is a wife.

 

https://amzn.to/46puLWk

 

Here’s an exciting excerpt:

She was exhausted by the approach of closing time. Gunfire cracked and she heard galloping hooves.

Michael reached under the counter for a gun. “Get into the backroom until this is over so you won’t get hit by stray bullets.” He raced out the door and down the boardwalk.

Mrs. Horowitz, wife of the butcher, stepped away from the windows where she’d been admiring a display. “Those awful cowboys have no care for the town’s residents. They must be drunk to act so carelessly.”

“I expect you’re right. If they were intent on robbing the bank, surely they’d come in quietly to evade notice. You can step through the curtain behind you, and you’ll be in the storeroom. There’s a chair you can rest in until those men are stopped.”

Disobeying her employer’s order, Josephine stood at the side of the window so she was protected by the wall but could look out. The sheriff, his deputy, Michael, and a handful of other men with guns drawn tried to apprehend the rowdy cowboys. One of the ruffians darted toward the store.

Dear Merciful Heaven! Terror struck her and her knees almost gave way. The man who’d attacked her had returned with his friends. Was he after her or bent on destroying Tarnation?

Unable to turn away, she watched the man make his way slowly toward the mercantile. This time she was prepared. She raced to grab a skillet intent on cracking the man’s skull if he came into the store.

Mrs. Horowitz peeked through the curtains. “Miss Nailor, come in here with me. You can’t fight guns with a pan.”

“The man who attacked me is headed this way. I’ll dent his head if he comes into the mercantile.”

The other woman inched closer. “Do you see my Claus? Oh, I hope he’s not trying to outgun those men.”

“Besides Mr. Buchanan, the sheriff, his deputy, Mr. Kendrick, and Mr. Evans are there.  Mr. Pettigrew also appeared. Oh, no, Tom Boyd is weaving down the road as if nothing is happening.”

“My, my, he’s no doubt so drunk he doesn’t know anything is going on.”

“Run back into the storeroom, Mrs. Horowitz. That man is almost here. He’s likely to shoot you if he sees you when he comes through the door.”

Aleida Horowitz scrambled toward the curtain. “What about you?”

“He won’t see me until too late. Hurry!” Josephine flattened herself against the wall behind the door.

No sooner had the woman slipped through the curtain than the cowboy rushed toward the counter as if he expected her to be crouched behind the island’s safety. As soon as he was inside, she swung the heavy iron skillet with all her might.

He dropped but not before she heard a burst of gunfire outside. She turned and saw Michael slump in the street’s dust. As her heart dropped to the floor, she screamed, “No!”

 

This is the series order: JOSEPHINE, ANGELINE, CASSANDRA, OPHELIA, RACHEL, LORRAINE, and PRUDENCE.

 

 

Bonded For Life by Sharon BuchBinder

 

 

Was she a dangerous infatuation, or a second chance at love?

Bonded for Life

by Sharon Buchbinder

Genre: Small Town, Second Chance, Romantic Suspense 

Lola Getz and Webster Bond felt an instant spark when they met as high school students in Victory Shores. But their budding romance was cut short when Lola’s parents died in a plane crash and she had to return to Mexico. There, she became a famous artist and married a man who turned out to be a fraud. Webster, meanwhile, joined the army, earned medals of honor, and came back to his hometown as a cop.

Years later, Lola’s life is in danger when armed men break into her house. She flees to the only place she feels safe: her twenty-fifth high school reunion. Webster is surprised and thrilled to see her again—and vows to keep her safe. But is she his long-lost love or a deadly temptation?

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Prologue Victory Shores High School Victory Shores, New York Twenty-Five Years Ago Lola Getz threaded her way through the crowd, anxious to get to her locker to grab her books for her next class. Members of the football team, spread out between the locker-lined walls, streamed toward her and blocked her path. Madre de Dios. Just what I need today. A hulking offensive linebacker stepped in front of her and stared down her blouse. “Hey, Chica! Why are you in such a hurry?” Waves of body odor rolled off him and over Lola. Wishing she had a can of deodorant to hose him down, she waved a hand in front of her face to dispel the B.O. “I have to get to class.” “I have to get to class,” he mimicked in a high-pitched voice. “Why bother? You’re going to get married and change diapers.” How many times in her life had she heard this sexist crap? She was sick and tired of being told all she was good for was to take care of a man and to breed. She was an artist, a damn good one, and no one was going to take that away from her. No one. Someone pinched her butt. Hard. She whirled and kneed the creep in the crotch. The quarterback, who often bragged he was the smartest player on the team, howled and dropped to the floor. Lola considered the writhing boy. “Not so smart now, are you?” Ms. Cross, the Women’s Studies teacher, materialized at her elbow. “Where are you supposed to be, Lola?” “I was trying to get to my locker—until this pack of hyenas attacked me.” “Go on. I’ll take care of them.” Ms. Cross yelled, “A month’s detention for the entire football team.” “Aww, come on!” “Not fair.” “We were joking!” “She attacked the QB!” “I didn’t do nothing!” “Dickhead made us do it!” Escaping the tumult, Lola raced down the hall and around the corner. She skidded to a stop at her locker and yanked the door open. She had a fraction of a second to register something didn’t belong in the narrow space—a scrawny kid!—before he fell on top of her. With a loud “oof,” she landed flat on her back on the floor. The boy’s face smashed into hers, his beak of a nose pressing into her right eyeball. In the moment, all she could think of was, “At least he doesn’t reek of B.O.!” “Ohmigod, ohmigod!” The kid scrambled to get up, slid on the notebook-paper-strewn floor, and fell on top of her again. A sharp elbow jabbed her in the breast. “Watch it, compadre!” she yelped. His arms flailed and sought purchase on the recently waxed floor. “Sorry,” the kid moaned. “Sorry, so sorry!” She attempted to roll out from under him, only to get tangled in his legs. Madre de Dios. What else can go wrong today? The poor boy’s expression as he tried to get off her, only to slide with a clang into the metal locker, set her off on a burst of giggles. “Ohmigod, you’re crying.” His face creased with worry. “Don’t move. I’ll get the school nurse.” Shaking with mirth, Lola gasped, “No. Stop. Don’t go.” He knelt at her side and peered into her eyes. “Your pupils are dilated. You’re in shock.” “I’m fine, I swear.” She sat up and wiped a tear off her cheek. “Who put you in there?” “My arch-enemy, Dick Heade, and his merry football henchmen.” The kid extended his hand and assisted her to her feet. “They think it’s tons of fun.” “What a cabrón!” “If that means what I think it means, yeah. He is a—” “Bastard.” “I was going to say dickhead, but then that’s his name.” The boy shrugged. “Overkill.” If the kid hadn’t been as skinny as a decoration for Día de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, he would have been cute—and sexy in a Johnny Depp kind of way. When he’d been on top of her, he’d rubbed her in all the wrong places—and caused all kinds of sensations that she’d never felt before. In fact, she hadn’t wanted the feelings to stop. Where had that come from? And he’d made her laugh. No other guy in this school had made her giggle like that before. “What is your name, amigo?” “Webster. Webster Bond.” “Hmm. Stirred but not shaken. I like that in a man.” His face became a deep red. “And you are…?” “Lola. Lola Getz.” The class bell rang. “Mierda. Late—again.”

Sharon Buchbinder has been writing fiction since middle school and has the rejection slips to prove it. An RN, she provided health care delivery, became a researcher, association executive, obtained a PhD in Public Health, and is an administrator in higher education. She is the author of the Hotel LaBelle Series, the Jinni Hunter Series, and the Obsession Series. When not attempting to make students and colleagues laugh or writing, she can be found walking her pugs, Agent Frank and Igor Valentino, waiting on her Maine Coon cat, Buster Brown,  or breaking bread and laughing with family and friends.

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Dating Hypothesis: Science Fair Book One by Daisy Landish

Dating Hypothesis:  Science Fair Book One

by Daisy Landish

Science Fair Trilogy (3 books) 

 

Series Link: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0B66XNR2W 

 

Series Description: This sweet enemies-to-lovers romance first began with a high school science fair… and sparks fly yet again when the lab partners - one ex prom queen and one lifelong nerd - cross paths again years later. But will a long-time rivalry get in the way of them pursuing their feelings for one another? 

 

Dating Hypothesis (Science Fair, Book One) 

Published: August 10, 2022 

Book Blurb:

 

Enemies to Lovers. Small Town Romance. Clean and Sweet. 
 
Cheerleader, prom queen, dating the hottest guy in school: Charlotte is the textbook definition of the class queen bee. Her mum, Ava, is a beauty pageant winner turned consultant who thinks education is for ugly girls and has drummed these ideas into Charlotte’s head since childhood. 
 
Benedict is top of the class in all subjects except PE. When not in the library, he can be found practising with the other debate team nerds. His dad is a stern, humourless man who values knowledge and academia above all else. He made the mistake of marrying a pretty girl with no substance, resulting in utter disaster. Benedict’s mum had long since put Elsebrook in her rear-view mirror. 
 
When Charlotte and Benedict are paired for a science competition, they are adamant in their refusal to buddy up. 
 
Charlotte thinks Benedict is an arrogant moron, who clearly has a superiority complex. 
 
Benedict thinks Charlotte is a self-absorbed airhead who thinks she can breeze through life on looks alone. 
 
As it happens, they were correct in their assumptions. Charlotte leaves Benedict hanging on the day of the competition, and Benedict goes on to win first prize. When Charlotte reads about his win in the local paper, she is furious to have been excluded from the project altogether. Benedict is furious to have been made to go alone, and they never speak again following their conflict.  
 
Fifteen years later, fate throws them together again. They’ve changed, grown up. Yet the animosity remains. 
 
Can they leave their past behind in pursuit of something they could never have dreamed of?  

 
Dating Hypothesis is the first book in the Science Fair Series. Books must be read in order. 

 

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09Z8PPSLC  

 

 

 

Excerpt: 

 

Mrs Brown settled back in her chair, obviously enjoying the aroma of her tea, which Benedict always found overpowering. She was silent a moment as if considering her words. “Do you remember Charlotte Black?”  

The change in topic, quite frankly, surprised him. His mind flashed to his time at the school as a student. He remembered Charlotte. She had left him to do their science fair presentation alone while she swanned off to London on a modelling audition. He could never forget her or the way she turned up at his house and blamed him for taking the credit for a presentation he’d completed without her. He nodded his response.  

“Well, she will be here on Monday. She will be sitting in on several classes, yours included. I've called her in to help the students, but for the first week, she will just be observing. I believe that she is the best person to help us get The Northern Swan back to where it needs to be,” Mrs Brown said, setting her empty cup on her desk.  

He chuckled, thinking this was a joke. “What is she going to teach them? How to accessorize?”  

Mrs Brown looked over him with confusion and a slight annoyance. “I take it you two didn't keep in touch? She's an award-winning psychologist now. Studied at Cambridge and is moving back to Else‐ brook as we speak,” Mrs Brown said.  

Benedict stared at her with a blank expression. Charlotte Black? A psychologist? Surely, they couldn't be talking about the same person.  

“I don't think she needs to sit in on my classes,” Benedict finally managed to say. “None of my students are on this list.”  

Mrs Brown’s expression was sombre as she pulled two more folders from her desk drawer. When Benedict scanned the two folders, he found several of his students' names, all from years ten and eleven.  

Guilt ran through him. Had he turned into his father? Was he pushing his students too hard? He felt sick. He was failing his students. This was the last thing he wanted to do.  

Mrs Brown’s smile was sympathetic. “Don't worry about it for now. Once Charlotte has completed her assessment, we will know how to proceed. Enjoy your weekend.” Mrs Brown dismissed him.  

 

 

About Daisy Landish 

Daisy Landish is a romance and contemporary fiction author living in the UK, whose clean and sweet novellas have tugged at readers’ heartstrings across the pond and beyond. When she’s not writing love stories, Daisy spends her time reading, hiking at dawn, and riding into the sunset on her horse, Rosebud. 

 

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