Rescue Road by Gayle M. Irwin 💕 Book Tour, $10 Gift Card Prize Pack Giveaway 💕 (Sweet Contemporary Romance)

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Can their broken paths weave their hearts together as they travel the rescue road?

Freelance writer Rhiann Kelly shelved romance for years. Her dream of starting an animal sanctuary takes deep roots after finding the perfect location in southwestern Montana and purchasing the property for back taxes.

Emergency medical technician Levi Butler knows his elderly friend left the ranch to him in his will. Levi anxiously awaits the probate to be complete so he can plan his retirement and begin his dream of raising and selling horses.

When Rhiann and Levi find each other at the ranch simultaneously, sparks fly - and not the romantic kind. Yet their mutual attraction deepens, especially after Levi finds Rhiann injured in an accident.

Meantime, land developer Dallas Patterson sets his sights on charming Rhiann to obtain the land.

Can Rhiann and Levi work together to detour Patterson and find a solution in which neither needs to give up their dream, or will the fence line of their hearts – and the property - separate them forever?

Can their broken paths weave their hearts together as they travel the rescue road?

Levi walked toward the sink, opened an overhead cupboard door and removed two mugs, which he set on the counter. He walked to the office phone that hung on the other side of the kitchen. The light on the answering machine on a small table below the wall phone blinked at him, and he pressed “play” to listen. A woman’s voice stated, “Levi, this is Rhiann Kelly. I’m sorry to be calling so late but I’ve had some things on my mind I’d like to talk with you about. If you’re not around the next few days, I hope someone at the station will get this message to you. Please call me on my cell, which is 406-555-2456. I’m taking a dog on an adoption transport in a few days, but you can call whenever it’s convenient for you. Thanks.”

Levi frowned.

Phil rounded the corner from the bay. “Everything okay?” he asked

“The woman who got George’s ranch called and left a message,” Levi responded.

“What’d she say?”

“She wants to talk with me.”

“Maybe she decided to let you have the place after all.”

“Maybe.”

Levi walked back to the coffee pot and, after making sure the liquid had brewed, poured the hot beverage into the two mugs. He handed one to Phil.

“You gonna call her back?”

“Not at 2 o’clock in the morning,” Levi responded with a tight grin.

Each man sat on a chair at the kitchen table. A moment of silence passed.

“Glad Mrs. Powers is going to be alright,” Phil said, changing the subject. “She could have broken her hip taking a fall like that.”

“Yeah,” Levi replied. “She was fortunate.”

Another moment of silence passed between the two men as they savored their coffee.

“I hear snow is predicted in the next few days,” Phil commented. “Sounds like winter may be arriving before autumn is over. Different from last year.”

“We never know around here how the weather will play out from year to year. Guess we’ll be preparing for more car accidents, especially with the first snow of the season.”

“People never seem to remember how to drive on snow and ice from one year to the next.”

“You got that right.”

Levi stood up and walked to the kitchen counter. He poured himself another cup of coffee.

“So, are you?”

Levi turned and looked at Phil. “Am I what?”

“Are you going to call her?”

“Maybe in a day or so. She said she was going to do an adoption transport. I’ll wait until she gets back in a few days.” He sat at the table again. “I still need to work through this in my head.”

“But if it’s good news … if she wants to let you have the ranch …”

Levi shook his head. “I can’t see that happening. She’s a feisty one.”

“Not a bad quality in a woman,” Phil said. Levi looked at his friend as the man took another sip of coffee. Phil shrugged. “Just sayin’.”

***

Levi sat in his office chair staring at a pink “Message” slip that lay beside the phone on his desk. He stared at Rhiann’s phone number he’d written on the paper. He picked up the office phone’s black receiver and began to punch in the numbers. After five finger taps, he hung up. Levi took a deep breath and again pressed the numbers. This time he got to six digits before hanging up. He sat back in his chair, swiveled the piece of furniture toward the bank of windows in his office, and stared. The layer of thickening clouds over the mountains seemed to also settle over his heart and mind.

“You know you can’t trust women, Butler. You found that out more than twenty years ago,” he muttered.

Levi stood, grabbed the message slip, and crumbled it in his hand. He tossed the page into the nearby trash can.

A tap sounded on his office door. Levi ran a hand through his hair and looked toward the closed entrance. “Yeah?”

Michael Quinn, the red-haired crew member, stepped inside. “Sorry to disturb you, Captain. Someone in the bay to see you.”

“Who is it, Quinn?”

The younger man shrugged. “Kauffman didn’t tell me. I do know it’s a woman.”

“Okay, I’ll be out in a moment.”

Quinn closed the door.

“Must be the mayor,” Levi muttered.

He ran his hands down his uniform. Even though Colter was a small town, a visit from the mayor was still a big deal. Levi glanced in the mirror near his desk, ensuring his shirt was neatly tucked in and his uniform pants were not noticeably wrinkled. He then stepped into the hallway and walked into the main part of the station. He stopped when he saw her. His auburn-haired nemeses held two cups of coffee.

“Hello,” Rhiann said, a smile on her face. “I’m sorry for bothering you, but I have a dog transport to prepare for, and since I hadn’t heard from you ...” Her voice trailed off as she extended one of the cups of coffee toward him. “Peace offering.”

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Rhiann Kelly dreams of starting an animal rescue sanctuary, and her beloved grandmother desires to see her achieve that dream. However, they don't agree on when or where. Because of the older woman's health, Rhiann thinks it best they stay near large cities; Grams wants to return to Montana, where she was born and raised. During their annual winter trip to Arizona, the two women clash once again over relocating ... as well as about Rhiann's lack of desire to date and potentially end up with another broken heart. However, when art gallery owner and nature photographer Elias Griffin steps into her life, Rhiann reconsiders. Can she maintain her decision to not become romantically involved with someone again and keep her eyes fixed on helping animals and caring for her grandmother, or will she decide Elias is worth the risk of possible heartbreak?

A ranch like no other …Erin Christiansen is still adjusting to life as a widow. She seeks additional healing by volunteering at Compassion Ranch, a sanctuary for former research animals. Upon arrival at the majestic and unique northwestern Wyoming ranch, she meets Mike, a man she knew in high school, whose compassion for animals and people might be the balm Erin needs.Retired veterinarian Mike Jacobs is no stranger to loss. Five years after the accidental death of his wife, he now serves as ranch manager of Compassion Ranch. He not only fixes fence and provides tours, but he applies his veterinary skills and his heart for animals to his work. Upon recognizing Erin from high school, he can barely believe his first love will spend a few weeks at the sanctuary. Can Erin and Mike span the years since they have seen each other or do they, like many of the rescued animals, have wounds that run too deep to trust and love again?

Crisis and Chaos in Paradise

Rhiann and Levi married five years ago. Their blissful life on a Paradise Valley, Montana ranch, buying, breeding, and selling horses and operating a rescued animal sanctuary, is challenged when Levi experiences a health crisis. A much-anticipated anniversary trip to Ireland postponed, a financial situation she didn't expect, and a past experience she thought she'd put behind her causes Rhiann to face critical decisions. Can she keep the ranch and sanctuary solvent and her marriage intact, or will these incidents cloud her judgment and cause chaos she cannot control?

Gayle M. Irwin is an author and freelance writer with a passion for pet rescue and adoption. She creates engaging books and enlightening short stories and articles. She is a member of Wyoming Writers Inc., which has presented her with several awards during the past 10 years, and Northern Colorado Writers. She has also won three Wyoming Press Association awards for her magazine article writing. A former editor and reporter for the West Yellowstone News in West Yellowstone, Montana, Gayle enjoys sharing stories about nature, people, and life. She is an avid advocate for pet rescue and adoption, and she donates a percentage of her writing income, including book sales, to animal rescue and adoption organizations. She has worked for two different humane societies and continues helping animal rescue organizations as a volunteer transporter.

She considers herself a human and pet life advocate, sharing stories about people and animals through articles for Pregnancy Help News, WREN Magazine, the Casper Star Tribune (including children’s stories in the kids’ My Trib section), Creation Illustrated, and other publications. Seven of her short stories appear in seven different Chicken Soup for the Soul books, such as I Can’t Believe My Dog Did That, Finding My Faith, and The Spirit of America. She enjoys traveling, nature photography, reading, spending time at her mountain cabin and a friend’s ranch, and helping non-profit organizations in various ways.