Hearts of Elk Valley

A single mom with a tragic past, a tongue-tied cowboy, and one last chance to find love. Happily married, Carly Johnston noticed that her best friend's brother was attractive and that's as far as it went. When her husband fell into drinking, her heart was broken. When he refused to stop or get help, her life fell apart. Add an unexpected pregnancy to the mix and her life became a total disaster. Luckily her best friend and her family were there to offer support and help her get on with her life.Now, six years later, she's a single mother and ready to date. Too bad the man she'd slowly been falling for is oblivious to her attraction. It's like he doesn't know she exists. She's hoping his sister's wedding is her chance to pop onto his radar. When she's kicked out of the wedding party her hopes are dashed. How is she ever going to convince him that she's eager to get to know him better?Birch Brighton fell for Carly the moment he set eyes on her. She was, in all respects, his ideal woman. When he found out that she was already married, he was gutted and tried to move on. He'd never fish in another man's pond but having Carly hanging around the family ranch with his sister was keeping him from moving on. He'd kept his distance while her marriage crumbled, but now she's a single mother with an adorable child and his heart still yearns to be with her. He'd been waiting for her forever. She's gone from friendly and outgoing to standoffish and shy and he can't understand why. He's at a loss about how to catch her attention and show her how much he loves her.Can this duo of confused friends get past the awkward misunderstanding between them to find the love they always wanted? Alberta romance author Katie O'Connor can't live without her computer and ereader, but she wants to use them in the woods while watching the deer frolic on her summer property, Sanctuary. Her passion, aside from romance and her grandbabies, is giving back to the writing community. She's fueled by coffee and steak, and is fluent in sarcasm, cussing, dad jokes, and romantic jargon. If you need her, she'll be cozied up by the coffee pot eyeing the cookies.