Mr. February: Heroes of Rogue Valley: The Calendar GuysRafe Donato is a senior firefighter well aware that loving a woman can destroy a man. He will never trust any female with his heart. Jillian Metzger is a talented potter whose biological clock is ticking. Ready to fall in love, get married and start a family, Jillian wants what Rafe cannot give.

To Mark Engle, it's simple. There's Los Angeles--success, money, excitement--and there's Montana. So when he finds himself stuck playing small-town M.D., Mark is less than pleased. The only appeal is clinic receptionist Stacy Andrews, a big-city escapee in love with Saddlers Prairie and its neighbors-are-family feel. Too bad rural and close-knit are exactly what Mark's looking to evade.Stacy knows Mark's type too well. A career-driven man like that would never put a tiny community--much less a wife and family--first. So why is she hoping he'll stay? No one can overlook the chemistry between the pair, and soon the whole town conspires to push them together. But it'll take more than matchmaking for Mark to change his life plan, even if his heart truly belongs in Montana.

One Night With A Cowboy  There's no room in day-care owner Lana Carpenter's life for casual flings. After all, her dream of adopting a baby is closer to becoming a reality than ever. So why is she still mooning over the sexy cowboy who made her forget everything but the strong, sure feel of his arms around her?  It wasn't supposed to be more than one unforgettable night between consenting strangers. But when Sly Pettit spots Lana's photo in the local paper, he grabs at the chance to see her again. The guarded rancher is falling hard for Lana, but it can only end in heartbreak. Unless Sly can trust her with the secrets that keep him from believing that, just maybe, they could have a future together.**About the AuthorAnn Roth lives in Seattle with her husband. After earning an MBA, she worked as a banker and corporate trainer. She gave up that life to write, and if they awarded PhDs in writing happily-ever-after stories she'd have one. In 1999 Ann won the Golden Heart  for unpublished writers for best long series. Since then she has sold numerous romance and women's fiction novels, a novella and short stories. For more information, visit www.annroth.net Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.Lana Carpenter woke up with the worst headache ever. With a groan, she cracked one eye open to glance at the clock on the bedside table. But there was no clock, and the dark wood table was nothing like her oak furniture. She wasn't in her queen-size bed at her town house—she was in a king-size bed in a hotel room, and judging by the monogram on the sheets, it was the Prosperity Inn, one of Prosperity, Montana's, four-star hotels. Both eyes were open now. After stealing a peek at the other side of the bed—it was empty, but a dented pillow lay close to hers—she sat up quickly, grimacing at the sudden thundering in her temples. The clock on that side of the bed said it was just after ten. She never slept this late—even if it was Saturday! She pulled the dented pillow to her face and the lingering scent of a man's spicy aftershave tickled her nostrils. One whiff and everything flooded back. Kate picking her up and commiserating with her over the fact that Brent and Julia had had their baby. Driving to the Bitter & Sweet Bar and Grill for dinner and dancing to a live country-and-western band. Consuming too little dinner and too many cocktails in an effort to forget her ex's betrayal. The handsome cowboy at the table across the way, and the strong attraction that had flared between them from the first moment of eye contact. On the way to the bar, Lana hadn't even thought about meeting a man. She was still recovering from the divorce and had only wanted to forget that Brent's new wife had given him the one thing Lana couldn't—a baby. Then the sexy cowboy had asked her to dance, and they'd kept on dancing, with short stops for drinks and casual chitchat in between. After a while Kate had grown bored and left. Lana had stayed, with the intention of finding a cab later to take her home. But she'd soon forgotten all about the cab when dancing progressed to long, passionate kisses and the haste to rent a room within walking distance so that she and the cowboy could… "Oh, dear God, I didn't!" she muttered, shattering the quiet. Her clothes lay in a telltale trail that started just inside the door and ended near the bed. She definitely had. Which was so unlike her. Another groan escaped from her. Normally, she wasn't much of a drinker. Oh, sure, she enjoyed an occasional glass of wine with dinner, but that was pretty much it. She'd never picked up a stranger, either. Sly, that was his name, had assured her that he was clean—Lana recalled that. She'd stated that she was clean and healthy, too. Shortly after Brent had left her for Julia some eighteen months ago, she'd had herself tested. She hadn't been with a man since. Until last night. She and Sly had more than made up for her year and a half of celibacy. Boy, had they. Her cheeks warmed. Then she remembered that sometime during the night, as they lay tangled together after making love, he'd explained he'd have to leave for work early in the morning. Lana was glad he'd let her sleep instead of waking her to say goodbye, because facing him this morning would have been, at best, uncomfortable. Mother Nature called. Clutching her head, Lana made her way to the bathroom. There on the counter she found a bottle of aspirin and an unopened half liter of water. Under the water, a note. Last night was great. This should help with the hangover. Bless the man for his thoughtfulness. After swallowing several pain tablets with a healthy quantity of water, she studied herself in the mirror. Despite her headache, she looked radiant, as if she was still basking in the afterglow of a night of unbridled passion. Sly was right—last night had been great. A long shower helped revive her, and by the time she dried off, fixed her hair and dressed in last night's clothes—clean clothes would have been nice, but Lana didn't have any with her—she felt almost normal. She was shrugging into her coat to leave when her cell phone chirped "It's Raining Men." Kate's favorite song. Lana picked up right away. "Hey there." "You were supposed to call this morning with the scoop. Tell me that handsome cowboy you were dancing with gave you a ride home." Lana glanced at the unmade bed, winced and plopped onto a chair. "Not exactly." "You're saying you turned him down and took a cab instead? That's a crying shame, Lana, because for the first time in forever, you were actually having fun with a really hot guy." Kate was right about the hot part. Tall, lean and muscled, with startling silvery-blue eyes and a killer smile, Sly was every woman's cowboy fantasy. Lana caught herself in a dreamy sigh and frowned. "He never offered me a ride." "Well, shoot. And he seemed so into you. How much longer did you dance before you parted company?" "Um…actually, we didn't part company. I'm at the Prosperity Inn." Which was only a few short blocks from the Bitter & Sweet. "What are you doing at a hotel?" Kate asked, then answered her own question with a singsong "Oh." Her voice softened to an excited whisper. "You should have said something sooner. Call me later." "It's okay—he's not here." "You mean he's in the shower?" "No, I mean he had to leave early this morning to go to work. I slept in." "It's not like you to spend the night with a guy you just met." "Tell me about it." As a rule, Lana waited for that level of intimacy until she was in a relationship. "I can't believe I did this." "Hey, it happens. Did you at least enjoy yourself?" Lana didn't have to think long about that. Now that her headache was all but gone, other things bubbled into her mind. Good memories that made her whole body hum. "It was pretty special." "Ooh. Gonna share some details?" "No!" "At least give me his name? Maybe what he does for a living?" "His name is Sly and I assume he's a rancher. He must be, right? Who else has to get up at the crack of dawn to go to work on a Saturday? I don't know his last name or anything else about him, except that he's never been married. I said I was divorced." In the heat of the moment, she'd also mentioned that she couldn't have kids. "We agreed that this was a night to forget our troubles and keep things fun and light." They'd accomplished both goals, in spades. "I don't think we'll ever see each other again." "That's so unlike you." "So you said." As unforgettable as last night had been, Lana regretted what she'd done. She massaged the space between her eyes. "Remind me to never drink again." "Don't be so hard on yourself. Look on the positive side—you're back in the saddle, and a darned handsome cowboy put you there." Kate hooted at her joke. "Besides, you needed to be wild for one night. Once you adopt a baby, you won't be able to overdo the alcohol or stay out all night on a whim." "I never do either of those things." "You did last night. Listen, I have to leave for my mani-pedi, but if you need a ride, I can come pick you up in an hour or so." Lana supposed she could order breakfast downstairs and wait, but she wanted to change into fresh clothes. She also had a jillion things to do today—clean her house, grocery shop, do laundry, et cetera. "I'll take a cab, thanks. Send me a picture of your nails." "Will do. Talk to you later." Early April in western Montana usually brought mornings cold enough to see your own breath. Yet this morning, Sly Pettit was sweating like a son of a dog. He also felt like crap. At thirty-five he was no longer able to shake off a hangover with a couple of aspirin as easily as he'd done at thirty. "Sly? I said, if you're feelin' poorly, Ollie, Bean and I can handle the rest of the branding." Ace, Sly's longtime foreman, was staring at him oddly, and Bean, a grizzled cowhand, wore a frown. Ollie, a rangy twenty-year-old kid Sly had hired for the spring and summer, shot him a curious glance. Sly realized he was grimacing and smoothed his expression. When he'd met his attorney at the Bitter & Sweet Bar and Grill for dinner last night, he'd planned on staying about an hour, then heading home. Instead, he'd arrived home just shy of dawn. "I'm okay," he said. "Well, you look like you've been run over by a tractor and left for dead." Ace blew on his hands to warm them and then shook his head. "It's that trouble with Tim Carpenter, isn't it?" Bean said nothing, but now he appeared intrigued. Ollie, too. Sly and his lawyer, Dave Swain, had met to discuss whether Sly should sue Carpenter. The whole idea left a bad taste in Sly's mouth. Dave didn't enjoy it either, and thought Sly should try to work things out with his neighbor, who owned the Lazy C Ranch, which was adjacent to Pettit Ranch. But Carpenter's refusal to sit down and talk had left Sly without much choice. "I'm not happy about it," Sly said. "But that's not why I look like hell. I'm hungover." The crew members chuckled. "Been there more than a few times myself," Ace said. "The way you're sweatin' out that alcohol, you're sure to feel better in no time." Sly lifted the gate of the holding pen and Ace slapped the rump of one of the January calves they'd culled from the herd earlier. As the calf loped from the pen and Sly herded her toward the calf table, he thought about the mess with his neighb...

Mr. January: Heroes of Rogue Valley: The Calendar GuysSenior Firefighter Adam Healey is a man with a mission: get promoted to lieutenant at the Guff’s Lake Fire Department. It’s time, but more important, the promotion will finally earn him the respect of his dying father. Single mom Samantha Everett’s deadbeat ex has left her to fend for herself, and she’s working hard to support her young son with her baking business. Neither Adam nor Samantha is looking for a relationship. But love has a way of surprising people…

A Chance To Prove HimselfLearning that she was adopted is the biggest shock of magazine writer Sarah Tigarden's life. Falling in love with champion bull rider Clay Hollyer is a close second. Years ago, she shared a sizzling kiss with the handsome rodeo star, only to hear that he was a player who enjoyed toying with women. After her profile of Clay called him on his caddish behavior, she never wanted to see him again.But as Sarah searches for her birth mother, Clay is unexpectedly by her side. Can this really be the same guy she condemned as a womanizer? As she gets closer to learning the stunning truth about her biological mom, Sarah also finds herself getting closer to Clay. Her head tells her it's a mistake...but her heart isn't so sure.

"What Exactly Are You Asking Santa For?""It's A Secret. How Do You Spell Mommy?"Nothing is more precious to Ryan Chase than five-year-old Maggie. She's the reason the widower moved to Halo Island in the first place-he wanted to get away from his hectic, work-all-hours job so he could spend more time with his daughter. Ryan will do anything to make sure Maggie is protected from hurt, which means no attachments to anyone who comes into their lives-and plans to leave.As soon as the holidays are over, Tina Morrell is going back to Seattle to her busy job, and hopefully a big promotion. Her career has always been the most important thing in Tina's life...that is, until she meets the adorable Maggie and her incredibly hunky father. But Ryan won't let Tina get close-even though his daughter seems to be bringing them together.As the spirit of Christmas descends over the island, it's the wishes of one little girl that may be granted!

With Just One Touch...Amy Parker is lost. She and Sam Cutter had always ignited major sparks, but it was their problems outside the bedroom that ended their short but passionate marriage. Now, just seeing the rugged businessman for the first time in over a decade has her remembering the way Sam used to make her feel. Sexy. Sensual. And downright beautiful. To Sam, Amy is still the most gorgeous woman he's ever seen. But convincing her he's not the man he once was might not be so easy. Little does Amy know he'll do whatever it takes -- because he doesn't want to lose her the second time around!

Not What She Expected After a painful breakup and the loss of her job, Cinnamon Smith feels there's only one place she can go—her best friend Fran's bed-and-breakfast in the small town of Cranberry, Oregon. The first person she meets on her arrival is Nick Mahoney, Fran's handyman. Cinnamon's attraction to Nick is immediate, and the feeling is definitely mutual. All That She Wants But Cinnamon has spent years working toward a certain kind of life, a life she can't have with Nick. Spending time in Cranberry, and with him, is beginning to change all that. Then she gets a job offer that would put her career goals back on track.... Which means Cinnamon has to choose between the life she's always wanted and the love that's right in front of her.