Set in the midst of the stark beauty of West Texas, When the Ocotillo Bloom charters the journey of Lynn and Seth as they overcome obstacles and find self-renewal—the reward being love
As a result of her divorce, Lynn Devry’s happiness and health have dimmed. On a ranch in West Texas, she challenges her body and tackles deep-rooted fears to cast aside old habits and find the inner strength she’s longed for.
Seth Williams, divorced ranch owner, harbors a secret desire to reconcile with his ex-wife. When a prickly school teacher is thrust into his life, he learns his happiness lies in the future, not the past.
Set in the midst of the stark beauty of West Texas, When the Ocotillo Bloom charters the journey of Lynn and Seth as they overcome obstacles and find self-renewal—the reward being love
Excerpt
Lynn paused in packing her toiletries and stared at the jar of face cream with unseeing eyes. “Abby, are you sure I’m doing the right thing traipsing off to God knows where this summer?” She’d been haunted by that question since receiving the letter from Seth Williams a week ago. I’m pleased to inform you the job of… is yours… please be in Mesa Flats by… my son, Brian will meet you… to Ocotillo Ranch. This was a big step for her, leaving her home for the summer, her safe comfortable environment. It was only natural for her to have doubts.
For the past fifteen years, when school let out, Lynn Devry spent her summers relaxing, doing as she pleased. She finally focused her gaze on the jar of expensive brand face cream she’d been using for years. The label read—renew your skin’s youthful appearance. Yeah, right, it had sure done that. Shaking her head in disgust, she tossed it into the trash. She’d save money and buy her cosmetics at Wal-Mart from now on.
No, that wasn’t quite true. Of all those summers, the last several had been spent floundering, wallowing in inactivity and isolation. Because of lack of exercise and
outdoor activities, her health had suffered. She’d neglected friendships and her social life was the pits.
That was no way to live. If so, she might as well give up and jump in the wastebasket with that jar of face cream and the rest of the trash. She glanced at her reflection in the full-length bathroom mirror and shuddered at the lackluster face staring back at her. Her complexion was no longer peaches and cream but sallow and washed out. It didn’t take a rocket scientist to know that sunshine and fresh air would return her skin’s glow. Auburn hair that used to bounce and shine with vitality still looked pretty good. Probably due to the salon bought conditioner she used faithfully. She let her gaze travel the length of her body and snorted in disgust at the size of her butt. Okay, so she looked awful, but plans for change were in the forecast. Surely her posterior would shrink if she didn’t sit on it all summer in front of the television working cross-stitch patterns.
This summer she’d taken a job, and on a ranch to boot, a place that had dirt and smelly cow poop. She’d never been on a ranch in her life and knew nothing about cows and horses. Fear squeezed her heart. What had possessed her? She shrugged at her image in the mirror. Her reflection didn’t know anymore than she did. God, I pray this isn’t a mistake. Oh, well, it’s a done deal now. She would be indoors and far away from the animals. Lynn tossed the last of her toiletries in her cosmetic bag balanced on the edge of the lavatory. She zipped it closed and carried it down the short hall to the living room foyer where her other bags were parked by the front door.
The Matchmaker:
Angela Calminetti, mother of five, New Age practitioner and gifted psychic and telepath, is proud of her family ties and does everything she can to make sure that all of her younger siblings are as happy in love and marriage
