title: The Second Time Around
author: Antypowich, Gloria
description: Sparks fly when Frank Lamonte and Colt Thompson meet. There is an explosion of anger, based on misinformation and suspicion: but there is also an undeniable attraction. Thirty-six fateful hours set the stage for a lifetime of consequences. Veterinarian, Frank Lamonte, comes to Belanger Creek Ranch to work as a ranch hand after her boss recognizes her growing symptoms of depression and insists she take a leave of absence. She is reeling from a series of emotional blows, the final one being a broken engagement. He tells her to leave town for a while and give her ravaged emotions a chance to heal, without constantly facing reminders of the past. She's determined to get better quickly, and nothing will stand in her way.…that is, until she meets the owner of Belanger Creek Ranch. Her attraction to him could end her plans, even though she thinks otherwise. After divorcing the cheating wife who destroyed his dreams, Colt Thompson has become a bitter and cynical man. Being vulnerable once broke his heart; allowing it to happen twice will never happen. He will make certain that he never falls in love again. When he finds Frank Lamonte at the ranch, he makes up his mind that she is a liar and a cheat. He will not let himself be attracted to her, even though the tension sizzles. Will Frank and Colt open their hearts to true love? Or, will Colt do everything he can to protect his heart? Will he wed Shauna Lee Holt, his “friends with benefits” woman; a woman he doesn’t love? Will Frank take a risk and make him think again? Will she settle back into the state of depression that resulted in her coming to Belanger Creek Ranch? When Dr. Jason Winters DVM arbitrarily put her on leave of absence, he told her to deal with her emotional trauma. He promised that her job as a veterinarian at his clinic would be waiting, when she was mentally healthy. Will she jeopardize all her opportunities? Heartache lies ahead for these two intractable characters, and neither one of them will make wise choices along the way.