 | THE RAIN LILY Wildflowers of Texas Series Book 2 Historical Western Romance Adeline Gray was once the center of attention, the spark of society, but one mistake gets her disowned by her family. She wants to leave Houston, but she needs a job and finds her salvation in the household of Keaton Hayes, working as a nanny to his recently orphaned and adorable nephews. Keaton is a mystery, a bachelor, who is successful and chivalrous, and keeps every lady guessing. And Adeline is falling for him. She can’t fall for him. She can’t stay in Houston, surrounded by her past mistakes. But there are more dangers lurking than just the fear of losing her heart, and Adeline must learn to fight back, or everything she could ever want will be gone forever. PURCHASE THE RAIN LILY |
THE RAIN LILY
“I’m…glad your heart isn’t broken over him,” Keaton said. “He never deserved you, Adeline.”
His words, and the low timbre of Keaton’s voice, caused her pulse to race. She lowered her lashes. “That’s kind of you to say.”
“I’m not being kind,” he insisted. “You bring joy wherever you go. As I said, your personality is refreshing and shouldn’t have been wasted on someone like Harris.”
Her throat went dry, and her chest tightened. She couldn’t look at him.
The silence grew heavy, and she felt him recognizing her sorrow and guilt.
“I miss that woman,” he said firmly.
Her gaze shot to his.
A determined, confident expression lined his face. “I miss the woman who enjoyed life, who laughed with abandon, who spoke to everyone, and included everyone in her fun.” A muscle ticked in his jaw. “I miss the woman who knew her worth, who understood that she had so much to give, who could send a room full of people to new heights just by entering it.”
Her throat went raw with emotion, and it was taking all her control not to cry. “That woman destroyed a marriage.”
“Dudley and Daphne are still married,” Keaton argued. “You did no such thing.”
“I shamed my family.” A tear slipped over her cheek. “They disowned me.”
“A knee-jerk reaction that will change as time goes by.” He waved a dismissive hand. “They miss you, I know it. They’re grieving and not sure how to forgive you, but they will.”
She shook her head and dashed away the few tears sliding over cheeks. “You didn’t see the faces of my parents. You weren’t subject to their righteous anger.” Her shoulders began to shake with the strength it was taking to hold back her sobs.
“Adeline—”
“No!” She jumped up. “What I did was wrong! I don’t deserve happiness! I don’t deserve—”
He shot to his feet and gripped her upper arms. “Stop! That’s not true.” He gave her a gentle shake. “You can’t think like that. I understand that you feel guilty, but that doesn’t mean you should relegate yourself to the shadows, that you condemn yourself to a life in a prison of your own making.”
Her insides hurt. He was asking her to, no, demanding, that she forgive herself. She couldn’t do it. “I…I c-can’t.”
Earnest, he stepped closer to her and cupped her cheek with one hand. “Adeline, please. Don’t hate yourself. You don’t deserve that. You deserve goodness and happiness. You deserve a life.”
More tears escaped and she shook with the effort it took to keep from breaking down.
Gently, he brushed his knuckles down her jaw. “I could give that to you,” he said softly, intently. “I want to make you happy. I want to protect you and shelter you. I want—” He let out a quaking breath. “Adeline,” he whispered, a benediction.
He took her mouth hotly, desperately.
“I’m…glad your heart isn’t broken over him,” Keaton said. “He never deserved you, Adeline.”
His words, and the low timbre of Keaton’s voice, caused her pulse to race. She lowered her lashes. “That’s kind of you to say.”
“I’m not being kind,” he insisted. “You bring joy wherever you go. As I said, your personality is refreshing and shouldn’t have been wasted on someone like Harris.”
Her throat went dry, and her chest tightened. She couldn’t look at him.
The silence grew heavy, and she felt him recognizing her sorrow and guilt.
“I miss that woman,” he said firmly.
Her gaze shot to his.
A determined, confident expression lined his face. “I miss the woman who enjoyed life, who laughed with abandon, who spoke to everyone, and included everyone in her fun.” A muscle ticked in his jaw. “I miss the woman who knew her worth, who understood that she had so much to give, who could send a room full of people to new heights just by entering it.”
Her throat went raw with emotion, and it was taking all her control not to cry. “That woman destroyed a marriage.”
“Dudley and Daphne are still married,” Keaton argued. “You did no such thing.”
“I shamed my family.” A tear slipped over her cheek. “They disowned me.”
“A knee-jerk reaction that will change as time goes by.” He waved a dismissive hand. “They miss you, I know it. They’re grieving and not sure how to forgive you, but they will.”
She shook her head and dashed away the few tears sliding over cheeks. “You didn’t see the faces of my parents. You weren’t subject to their righteous anger.” Her shoulders began to shake with the strength it was taking to hold back her sobs.
“Adeline—”
“No!” She jumped up. “What I did was wrong! I don’t deserve happiness! I don’t deserve—”
He shot to his feet and gripped her upper arms. “Stop! That’s not true.” He gave her a gentle shake. “You can’t think like that. I understand that you feel guilty, but that doesn’t mean you should relegate yourself to the shadows, that you condemn yourself to a life in a prison of your own making.”
Her insides hurt. He was asking her to, no, demanding, that she forgive herself. She couldn’t do it. “I…I c-can’t.”
Earnest, he stepped closer to her and cupped her cheek with one hand. “Adeline, please. Don’t hate yourself. You don’t deserve that. You deserve goodness and happiness. You deserve a life.”
More tears escaped and she shook with the effort it took to keep from breaking down.
Gently, he brushed his knuckles down her jaw. “I could give that to you,” he said softly, intently. “I want to make you happy. I want to protect you and shelter you. I want—” He let out a quaking breath. “Adeline,” he whispered, a benediction.
He took her mouth hotly, desperately.
REVIEWS FOR THE RAIN LILY
"Our Review: First, and perhaps most important, the characters in this story—indeed the entire Texas Wildflowers series—are so well drawn they should be used as a blueprint for a workshop in creating memorable characters. On another topic, this same story is an excellent teaching for establishing goals, motivation and conflict in the first five pages, then reinforcing then throughout the story. The Rain Lily is masterfully crafted and carried through to the very end. Do Not Miss this one. It’s a winner on every level. Based on a scale of 1-5, The Rain Lily merits an 8."
-- Kat Henry Doran, Wild Women Reviews
-- Kat Henry Doran, Wild Women Reviews
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