Southern Heat

Come to Me releases May 17, 2024!

Yay!

I’m so relieved to have this book finished. It’s taken way too long.

Come to Me is book four in the Southern Heat series telling Dr. Patrick Andres’ story. He appears in book 2, Meant to Be.

Blurb:

In a tug of war between family duty and true love, which will win?

Dr. Patrick Andres has it all – handsome looks, mega wealth, and professional success…or does he?

Suffocating under the weight of guilt and failure both personally and professionally, Patrick seeks an escape at a quaint lakeside resort in the Blue Ridge Mountains to sort out his life. His plan quickly backfires when a flat tire leaves him stranded in the heat and humidity without phone service, and a spirited woman wearing red Converse sneakers and red lipstick offers him a helping hand he stubbornly refuses.

Michaela is amused by the handsome, disheveled, out-of-place man at the side of the road who refuses her help. But that’s okay. She has her hands full trying to keep her family’s lakeside resort from going bankrupt, assisting her ailing father, and helping her nephew deal with the loss of his mother.

Patrick quickly learns that he’s not suited for the mountains. Luckily Michaela is there to help him, and while they come from different worlds, it doesn’t take long for them to discover one thing they have in common—a burning mutual attraction. And what better way to distract from life’s challenges than a short-term, no-string-attached fling?

Patrick is supposed to be finding himself but instead he can’t keep his mind or his hands off the sexy southern beauty. Michaela just wants a distraction from the challenges of life, but finds herself consumed by the sexy city slicker’s sweet kisses and hot caresses. As the summer heats up, their fling blooms into something more.

But when a family emergency pulls Patrick back north, he has to decide if he’s going to obey family duty or follow his heart.

This small town romance novel is ideal for readers who enjoy reading HEA contemporary romances with strong independent women and billionaire men who fall hard despite their best efforts not to. This southern romance is part of the Southern Heat series that takes place in rural Virginia but can be read as a stand-alone.

Excerpt from Come to Me

Chapter One

Everything in Michaela “Micki” Kincaid’s rebuilt 1951 Chevy 3100 was from the era except the radio. Ten years ago, when she and her dad had taken the broken-down wreck and brought it back to its former beauty, the one thing she insisted on was the ability to hear good music.

“It doesn’t fit,” her father griped.

“Good music always fits.”

She’d been right. She drove the cherry red truck up the mountain toward Kincaid Lake, the small family resort she called home after running a few errands in Charlotte Tavern. The heat and humidity were scorching but with air conditioning (also not from the era) she drove happily singing along to the upbeat tunes sent by Bluetooth from her phone to the stereo system.

Dr. Sydney McKenna’s friend, Dr. Patrick Andres from New York City, would be arriving at the resort today, so Micki went to pick up a few items to make sure his visit was the respite Sydney said he needed. In the back of the truck, she had a few new floatation devices for the lake, new used books to add to the shelves in his cabin, a few decks of cards, and board games. They had several games at the main lodge, but most had pieces missing. She also picked up the groceries her mother asked for and a new toy for her nephew Tate. She hoped it would cheer him up, and yet she knew no toy could fix the loss of his mother.

She came around the corner on the two-lane mountain highway two miles from the lake when she saw a spiffy SUV on the side of the road. Next to it was a man in dark dress slacks and a white shirt as if he’d just left a business meeting. He was hunched over the back tire looking completely out of place.

She pulled up behind him. Being from that part of the area, she felt mostly comfortable helping strangers. But she wasn’t an idiot. She tucked her little sig Sauer p238 her father got her into the back pocket of her overalls and carried her mace as she got out of the truck.

“You need some help?”

The man looked up. Sweat covered his face and chest where he’d unbuttoned his shirt. The man belonged on a men’s health magazine. Except for the scowl.

“I’ve got it, thanks.” His tone told her he wasn’t in a mood for help.

She walked over to him to examine his handy work. “You didn’t put the wheel wedges down. I can do that if you want.”

“I said I can do it.”

She pursed her lips wondering if he was surly by nature or had a problem with a woman offering to help. Either way, the handsome grump didn’t want her help.

“Suit yourself.” She went back to her truck, put her gun and mace back in her bag, and watched him for a minute. “How much do you want to bet that’s our Dr. Andres?”

What a way to start a vacation. She considered offering assistance again, but then decided he’d been clear that he didn’t need her help.

She started the truck and pulled out onto the road. She gave him a friendly double honk as she drove past.

Back at the resort, she parked in her usual spot, and started bringing items into the main lodge that served as the front office, gathering area for guests to eat and hangout, as well as her parents’ residence. Mickaela had a small studio apartment downstairs with its own entrance.

“Oh Micki, you’re back, thank goodness.” her mother scurried toward her in a tizzy. With the resort floundering financially, her mother was hoping Dr. Andres’s visit might spark more interest from posh New Yorkers to visit.

“What’s wrong mom?” Micki put the grocery bags on the kitchen table.

“I just want to be ready for Dr. Andres when he gets here.”

“You have some time. I’m pretty sure it was him I passed trying to change a flat tire on the side of the road. He could be there all night.”

Her mother gaped at her. “You didn’t stop to help him?”

“Of course, I did. But he didn’t want help. At least not from me. I suspect we’ll need to call him Dr. Andres as well.”

“He’s one of those New York types?” Her mother’s tone dipped into disappointment.

“Maybe he was just cranky to be changing a tire. I’ve got more stuff in the truck and then I’m going to check the roof. The weather calls for the possibility of a storm tonight and I want to make sure the fix holds tight.”

“If you bring the grocery bags in, I’ll put it away.”

“Okay. I got him some books too. Dr. McKenna said he liked to read. I’ll take those down later.”

Micki finished unloading her truck and then went to the shed next to the house to get her tool belt and the ladder. The hot and humid day felt ten times worse on the black shingles. She went over the repair she’d made earlier, making sure it was securely fastened and waterproof. Feeling satisfied, she put her tools away and was about to move to the ladder when a dark SUV pulled in.

She checked her watch. Not bad. He’d figured out how to change a tire.

He got out of the vehicle, looking hotter, in a sweaty way, than she felt. He’d buttoned his shirt for reasons she couldn’t fathom except maybe manners. But in her world, sometimes comfort trumped manners.

“You got your tire changed,” she called down.

He looked up, his hand guarding his eyes from the sun. “I did.”

“I wasn’t sure you would.”

He frowned.

“Will you hold the ladder for me?” She moved to the edge of the roof and began her descent.

When she was three rungs up from the bottom, she stopped, turning to him as he held the ladder in place. His eyes were dark, as was his hair. He was handsome, in a dark broody sort of way. She smiled, just to see if he’d smile back.

His brows knitted, as if he couldn’t figure out what she was doing. Then he smiled. It was tentative and she had a feeling he didn’t smile much.

Sighing, she finished going down the ladder. “You look like you could use some water. Come on in and we’ll get you some, and then get you settled into your cabin.”

“You know who I am?”

“Dr. Patrick Andres, right? We don’t get many city slickers up here. At least not ones still in a suit.”

He looked down at his sweat-soaked shirt. “I’m usually more presentable.”

She laughed. “This is about as good as I get.” She held her hands out like she was presenting herself in her overalls and red Converse sneakers. “We’re in the country, Dr. Andres. I hope you brought more comfortable clothes.”

She opened the door, feeling relief at the blast of cool air from the recently repaired air conditioning unit. Dr. Andres let out a groan of relief.

“Mom, Dr. Andres is here.”

“Who are you?” he asked.

“I’m Michaela, but everyone calls me Micki.”

Micki’s mom appeared.

“This is my mom, Mrs. Kincaid.”

“Please call me, Lori.” She held her hand out to Patrick. “Welcome to Kincaid Lake.”

He shook her hand. “Thank you.”

“I’m going to get him some water.” Micki headed back to the kitchen.

“I’ll check him in,” Lori said. “Would you like to wait in here and I’ll bring the registration materials to you? Micki and Logan got us all set up with fancy electronic registration we can do from a tablet.”

“I wouldn’t mind sitting for a moment.”

In the kitchen, Micki grabbed a glass filling it with the filtered water they kept in the large refrigerator. When she returned, her mother was sitting next to him on the couch going over the registration.

He looked uncomfortable and Micki wondered if he’d ever been so bedraggled in his life. There was no doubt he came from money as his clothes and groomed hair cut gave away his socio-economic status. Even sweaty and with oil on his hands and shirt, he carried himself with the air of money. Not a snob necessarily. Drake Carmichael, Lexie’s husband and another regular visitor to the lake, had a similar air about him. He filled a room and commanded attention simply with his presence.

Micki handed him the water, which he gulped down like a man dying of thirst. He gave her a sheepish smile, as if he thought his gulping was poor manners.

“Let me get you more.” She took the glass.

“You don’t have to go out of your way—”

“It’s not a problem and you look like you could use it. I don’t want you dying of heat exhaustion on your first day.” She headed back to the kitchen, refilling his glass, and returning.

“He’s all registered, Mick,” her mother said as Micki handed him the second glass of water. “Can you show him around and to his cabin? I need to finish getting the cookies and drinks ready for afternoon snack.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

Dr. Andres stood. “Where should I put this?” He lifted his glass.

Since it still had water in it, Micki said, “Keep it. I’ll bring it back up after I give you the tour and show you to your cabin.”

“I need to get my bags.”

She followed him out to his car. She wasn’t sure what to expect. In her experience, women packed more than they needed, and men less. But a man like Dr. Andres probably liked to have fresh clean clothes for every event. Especially for a six week stay.

He pulled out one large duffle from the back of the SUV, slinging it over his shoulder. She waited for him to pull out another, but he shut the back hatch.

“That’s it?”

“I figured I wouldn’t need much.” He frowned. “Do I?”

She laughed. He was the proverbial fish out of water. “Just swim trunks and shorts.”

“Swim trunks?”

She tried not to roll her eyes. “We have extras. Come on, let me show you around.” She led him back into the main office area. “This is where you can hang out with the other residents, and we serve morning breakfast. When it’s nice out, it’s not used much, but in thunderstorms or winter, it’s used a lot. We have books and games, but no TV.”

“I don’t watch much TV.”

She wanted to ask if he went to the opera, but she was afraid that would seem like she was buying into a cliché of rich New Yorkers.

“Back here on the deck is where we serve drinks…tea and lemonade, and cookies in the afternoon. We grill sometimes too. You’ll be here for the fourth of July. We throw a big bash for the locals to celebrate that.” She led him toward the railing near the steps. “Kincaid Lake is a twenty-five-acre lake. Big enough to spread out and have fun, but not big enough for ski boats or pontoons. We do have a fishing boat, as well as canoes, and kayaks. My goal is to get some paddle boards soon. Do you boat at all?”

He shook his head looking out over the lake. “I have friends who sail, but I don’t have a boat.” His gaze held on the lake.

She wondered if he’d ever been to one. “Pretty ain’t it?”

“Beautiful.”

She gave him a minute to admire the view and then motioned toward the stairs. “Let’s get a closer look.” She walked him down the path to the lake. “We have a main beach here. It’s the largest one, but we have two smaller ones.” She pointed in the direction of the other beaches. “We have a main dock just outside the swim area, plus two more docks, one of which is outside your cabin.” She pointed to where his cabin sat nestled in the trees. “It’s far enough away for privacy but close enough to the amenities or to the main building here if you need anything.”

“Are there other people here now?”

“We’ve got local newlyweds over in the honeymoon cabin. It’s on the other side from you, although I doubt that you’ll hear them. I’m wondering if I should check on them as I haven’t seen them since they checked in. Then again, it is their honeymoon.”

He didn’t react and she frowned. Except for the wistful expression when looking at the lake, Dr. Andres didn’t have much emotion.

“This path here will take you to your cabin. It’s clear but it doesn’t hurt to look out for snakes.”

“Snakes?” That did get an expression. She wasn’t sure if it was surprise or horror.

“We’re in nature, Dr. Andres. However, we haven’t had a snake bite here in…maybe two years. But those kids were poking the snake. It’s always best to leave snakes be.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

She reached the cabin and unlocked the door for him, pushing it open. She motioned for him to enter.

“It’s air conditioned.” She pointed to the window unit. “I recommend keeping everything, including the drapes closed during the day to help keep it cool and not overwork the unit. You’ve got a kitchenette there, which we’ve stocked with a few things. If you want something else, there is an IGA up the road about six miles.”

“There still are independent grocery stores?”

“Yes.” She arched a brow. Did he think he’d entered a third-world country? “In the areas still left behind in modern America, we’ve got a few old mom and pop shops.”

He frowned. “I didn’t mean to offend—”

She waved a hand. “I was just messing with you.” She led him to the back. “Here is the bedroom with a king size bed.” She sized him up from his expensive loafers to his short dark hair. He was over six feet for sure, but he should fit.

“This cabin has the nicest bath, even better than the honeymoon suite.” She opened the door to show him the room. A garden tub big enough for two sat under a window overlooking the lake. “The one in the honeymoon suite doesn’t have a window. Probably just as well though, huh?” She waggled her brows.

He looked at her like she was from another planet. Inwardly she rolled her eyes and thought, what a waste. He had the looks and money but didn’t have much of a personality. Then again, for many women, looks and money were all that was required. Micki preferred men with a sense of humor and good hearts, or she did. These days, she was too busy working to keep the resort open to date.

She handed Dr. Andres the key and took the empty water glass from him. “I’ll let you get cleaned up. My mother will have refreshments on the deck if you’d like to join us. I know my father would enjoy meeting you.”

He took the key. “Thank you.”

When he didn’t say anything further, she made her way to the door. “Welcome to Kincaid Lake, Dr. Andres.” She exited, shutting the door behind her. With a shake of her head, she went back to the main cabin to help her mother. On the way, she wondered how long Dr. Andres would last before the peace, quiet and snakes sent him back to New York City.

***

Come to Me releases as ebook first on Amazon and Kindle Unlimited, and will be available in paperback sometime in June 2024. ARCs are available until May 16, 2024 with reviews due by June 8, 2023 through my reader ARC team at Booksprout.