Heidi Betts: Loves Me, Loves Me Knot

Oh, glory! Oh, joy!

Slightly out of breath from her exertions, she slowed her steps and took a seat on the stool of the spinning wheel.

She’d lugged the giant piece of equipment back down from the attic… left it in her bedroom for a day or two to give her creaking bones a rest… then dragged it the rest of the way to the living room. Her intention had been to ready some new fibers and spin a new skein of yarn for her niece in hopes of undoing whatever bad mojo the first skein had brought about.

But now she didn’t have to, because Jenna had arrived at tonight’s knitting meeting with a smile on her face that could have lighted Lakefront Stadium. She’d been floating on air, bursting to share the news that she and Gage were back together.

Apparently, a lot had happened since Charlotte had last seen her niece.

Good things.

Wonderful things.

Enchanted-yarn-working-its-magic kind of things.

And Charlotte was absolutely certain now that the yarn was responsible for bringing both Ronnie and Dylan and Jenna and Gage together. How could it not be when Jenna had brought the feathery purple yarn with her tonight to finish a boa she’d begun while Charlotte had been away… and Gage had come to stay with her out at the farm?

Charlotte had been delighted, but not the least bit surprised, to hear it-as well as the fact that Gage had wanted to learn to do a bit of knitting and that was the yarn Jenna had used to teach him.

It was the story of Ronnie and Dylan’s love affair all over again. Definitive proof, as far as Charlotte was concerned, that the wheel and its yarn had the power to do exactly what her mother and grandmother and her mother before that had always claimed.

She was so excited, she had to tinkle again.

A few minutes later, she returned to the sitting room and took up position behind the spinning wheel. Now that she knew-really, really knew -she had her work cut out for her.

The yarn she created with this spinning wheel was clearly powerful enough to draw two people together despite seemingly insurmountable obstacles. But could it find a way for Grace to forgive Zachary?

Normally, Charlotte would never suggest a woman return to a man who’d cheated on her. Oh, no. Bodily harm and immediate neutering, maybe, but never forgiveness.

According to Jenna, however, Zack swore he hadn’t been unfaithful. There was a story there about a female fan sneaking into his hotel room on the road and Grace choosing that unfortunate moment to surprise him, but he swore up and down he wasn’t guilty. And because Charlotte trusted Jenna, and Jenna trusted Gage, who believed that Zack had possibly been wrongly accused, Charlotte was willing to suspend judgment.

Grace was too deeply mired in grief at the moment to listen to such a tale, though. She needed time… and perhaps a bit of supernatural intervention.

Threading the readied fibers-which she’d dyed pink this time-into the wheel, she slowly started to work the pedal, started to work the soft alpaca fur into a tight, artful strand of yarn.

Grace might not be ready to forgive Zack just yet, but hopefully once Charlotte gave her a bit of enchanted yarn, she would be.

Or perhaps the wheel had someone else in mind for the lovely television star.

If that was true, then Charlotte would accept it, of course. The important thing was that the yarn drew Grace to her true love and gave them a lifetime of happily ever after.

And with Charlotte ’s sneaky little fairy godmother help, that’s exactly what she was going to get.

JENNA’S BOAS

(which can also be used as restraints during hot sex with a current or ex-husband)

Materials:

Size 13 knitting needles

1 1.5-ounce skein of feathery “eyelash” yarn (any color)

Directions:

Cast on 16 stitches.

Knit every row until boa is one yard long or reaches desired length.

Cast off and weave yarn ends into fabric of boa with crochet hook.

Bestselling, award-winning author Heidi Betts began her love affair with the romance genre in junior high school, where she used to sneak romance novels into study hall when she should have been doing her homework. It didn't take long to decide she wanted to write a few romances of her own, so she set out to do just that.

Her first book was released by Dorchester Publishing in 2000, with five more to follow. From there, Heidi moved into the contemporary arena by writing numerous category titles for Silhouette Desire, and recently she signed with St. Martin 's Press to begin writing funny, sexy single titles.

With each new book, Heidi asks herself how she can bring to life endearing heroes and heroines whom readers will believe are meant for each other. A with each new novel to hit the stands, readers and reviewers alike declare she knows how to create a story that sizzles, charms, and delights from the first page to the last. Her first title for Silhouette Desire landed at #1 on the Waldenbooks/Borders Series Romance Bestseller List, where her books have continued to make an appearance ever since.

Heidi loves to read, write, watch movies (and just a little too much television), and surround herself with furry, four-legged friends in her home in the beautiful hills of Central Pennsylvania.