Roz Fox - Molly's Garden

Love is blooming in Molly’s garden...

Molly McNair needs someone tough to work for her. An oil company is pressuring her to sell her farm, and she’s losing workers to intimidation. When Adam Hollister applies, she knows she’s found the right man. Solid, fair-minded...and handsome, too. But there’s something she doesn’t know. Adam, a widower who’s been drifting since he lost his family, is a former wildcatter. And his onetime business partner sent him to obtain soil samples from her farm.

Molly, whose life is dedicated to providing healthy food for hungry families, has to discover if her love for Adam is deep-rooted enough to survive the truth.

“Your heart is beating a hundred miles an hour,” Adam said.

Molly couldn’t deny it.

“Come inside,” he offered. “I’ll make coffee. We’re both spooked.”

“I left the dog alone, and my house is wide-open.” Molly didn’t think she could go into the small tack room where he was staying. Where the only place to sit would be on Adam’s rumpled bed. “I had coffee with my friend Tess. More caffeine this late would keep me up all night. I’m fine. Really. I don’t think there’s a cricket stirring tonight.”

“All the same, let me put on my boots. I’ll walk you back to the house. It’s dark, and the barn lights and your porch light don’t reach into the shadows.”

“Okay.” She rubbed away goose bumps from her upper arms as Adam turned away. “And maybe put on a shirt,” she added feebly.

Dear Reader Contents Cover Back Cover Text Introduction Dear Reader Title Page About the Author 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 Copyright ,

Book ideas come from so many different places. This one seeped into my head little by little, from a variety of sources. I’m a big clipper of newspaper articles. I cut a couple from our Sunday paper about some new farm-to-fork gardens that involved children in the planting process. The idea was that they’d learn to like vegetables after helping to grow a garden. At the same time that I saw those articles, I watched a documentary on TV about child hunger in the US and how schools are collecting food from area grocers to send home in backpacks so kids and their families have food over a weekend. I learned this is happening in my area schools, and our community food bank is desperate for more help feeding hungry families.

Molly McNair came into my head as someone who loves to garden and wanted to fill a need. Another article mentioned that crop yields around here are plummeting as more land is used to explore for fossil fuels. So I had Molly’s conflict but needed to find her a suitable hero. Adam Hollister appeared as a contender. He has the background to cause Molly trouble. But nice guy that he is, he recognizes that what she’s doing to help poor families survive is more important than his former friends drilling for more oil. Oh, and Molly has a dog, a Doberman, that Adam wins over, too. I hope you like the good times I’ve given this couple (and that you enjoy seeing them triumph over the bad ones!).

Sincerely,

Email: rdfox@cox.net

Molly’s Garden

Roz Denny Fox

www.millsandboon.co.uk

ROZ DENNY FOX’s first book was published by Mills & Boon in 1990. She writes for several Mills & Boon lines and for special projects. Her books are published worldwide and in a number of languages. She’s also written articles as well as online serials for www.millsandboon.co.uk. Roz’s warm home-and-family-focused love stories have been nominated for various industry awards, including the Romance Writers of America’s RITA® Award, the Holt Medallion, the Golden Quill and others. Roz has been a member of the Romance Writers of America since 1987 and is currently a member of Tucson’s Saguaro Romance Writers, where she has received the Barbara Award for outstanding chapter service. In 2013 Roz received her fifty-book pin from Mills & Boon. Readers can email her through Facebook or at rdfox@cox.net, or visit her website at korynna.com/RozFox.

To Paula Eykelhof, the dedicated, insightful editor who catches my goofs and makes my books better with her expertise. A mere thank-you will never be enough.

Contents

Cover

Back Cover Text Love is blooming in Molly’s garden... Molly McNair needs someone tough to work for her. An oil company is pressuring her to sell her farm, and she’s losing workers to intimidation. When Adam Hollister applies, she knows she’s found the right man. Solid, fair-minded...and handsome, too. But there’s something she doesn’t know. Adam, a widower who’s been drifting since he lost his family, is a former wildcatter. And his onetime business partner sent him to obtain soil samples from her farm. Molly, whose life is dedicated to providing healthy food for hungry families, has to discover if her love for Adam is deep-rooted enough to survive the truth.

Introduction “Your heart is beating a hundred miles an hour,” Adam said. Molly couldn’t deny it. “Come inside,” he offered. “I’ll make coffee. We’re both spooked.” “I left the dog alone, and my house is wide-open.” Molly didn’t think she could go into the small tack room where he was staying. Where the only place to sit would be on Adam’s rumpled bed. “I had coffee with my friend Tess. More caffeine this late would keep me up all night. I’m fine. Really. I don’t think there’s a cricket stirring tonight.” “All the same, let me put on my boots. I’ll walk you back to the house. It’s dark, and the barn lights and your porch light don’t reach into the shadows.” “Okay.” She rubbed away goose bumps from her upper arms as Adam turned away. “And maybe put on a shirt,” she added feebly.

Dear Reader

Title Page Molly’s Garden Roz Denny Fox www.millsandboon.co.uk

About the Author ROZ DENNY FOX’s first book was published by Mills & Boon in 1990. She writes for several Mills & Boon lines and for special projects. Her books are published worldwide and in a number of languages. She’s also written articles as well as online serials for www.millsandboon.co.uk . Roz’s warm home-and-family-focused love stories have been nominated for various industry awards, including the Romance Writers of America’s RITA® Award, the Holt Medallion, the Golden Quill and others. Roz has been a member of the Romance Writers of America since 1987 and is currently a member of Tucson’s Saguaro Romance Writers, where she has received the Barbara Award for outstanding chapter service. In 2013 Roz received her fifty-book pin from Mills & Boon. Readers can email her through Facebook or at rdfox@cox.net, or visit her website at korynna.com/RozFox .

Dedication To Paula Eykelhof, the dedicated, insightful editor who catches my goofs and makes my books better with her expertise. A mere thank-you will never be enough.

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

Copyright

CHAPTER ONE

MOLLY MCNAIR TIGHTENED her grip on Nitro’s leash and charged up the steps. Bursting through the double doors into the sheriff’s station, she stood looking for Deputy Roy Powell.