Please Be My Valentine

By Jennifer Wenn

Benjamin Emerson is determined to honor the dying Mrs. Brody’s last wish, that her granddaughter shall not spend Valentine’s Day alone. But as the special day is closing in, he still doesn’t know how to reach the stiff, correct librarian. Broken by her psychopathic former fiancée, Leonore Brody moves back into her empty childhood home in Barnesville, numbly taking one day at a time. When Ben asks her to help his daughter, she can’t refuse, knowing how much he meant to her grandmother. Caught at the Emerson Farm by a snow storm, Leonore finds herself drawn to the charismatic Ben. But the scars from her past are deep – can she ever trust a man again?

• Language: English
• Publisher: The Wild Rose Press
• Release date: Jan 17, 2018
• ISBN: 9781509218493

Jennifer Wenn

Mother of kids. Writer of romance. Addict of coffee.

Book preview

Inc.

What? Leonore squeaked,

losing her normally soft-spoken, stiff, prim persona for a moment. "Is the storm coming now? I thought you said it wouldn’t be here until tonight!" She glared at Ben, feeling he somehow had misled her, and to her surprise his ears turned a deeper shade of red.

You knew the storm was coming earlier?

He nodded, again looking like that damn, irresistible puppy. Sorry.

Leonore took a deep breath, not wanting to lash out in front of his big-eyed daughter, who was interestedly following their conversation. Drive me home. Now.

I can’t. Too much snow already. Sorry.

He didn’t look like he was very sorry. Instead he looked almost too pleased with himself, as if his well-laid plan had worked. Now he had her here, he could put her in the dungeon with his other women prisoners.

He didn’t wait for her to answer his apology. Kelly, this is Miss Brody, Mrs. Brody’s granddaughter I’ve been talking about.

Kelly mumbled something inaudible, which Leonore interpreted as some sort of greeting.

Nice to meet you, Kelly, she offered stiffly, with chattering teeth.

You are freezing, Ben said, compassionately. Let’s go inside.

With an arm around his daughter, he walked out into the increasing snowfall, heading toward the house. With an anguished groan, Leonore slammed the truck door shut before following them, unable to tell if her uneasiness came from being unwillingly trapped here at the Emerson farm or the fact that she felt reluctantly exhilarated about it.

Praise for Jennifer Wenn

Jennifer Wenn’s AN HEIRESS IN DISGUISE

tied for first place in the 2017 IDA Contest

in the Historical Novel category.

~

Jennifer Wenn weaves a wonderful story…

~Pauline Michael, Night Owl Romance (3.5 Stars)

~*~

Very well-written…. The characters are so vivid. They seem about to walk right off the page.

~Maura, Coffee Time Romance and More (4 Cups)

~*~

The plot, the characters, the love, loss, pain, and just everything about life that we know is out there is blended into the pages almost seamlessly as though they were born there.

~Valkyrie Fatality, Rockin’ & Reviewing (5 Stars)

~*~

I would definitely re-read it.

~Victoria Lane, The Romance Reviews

~*~

Available from The Wild Rose Press, Inc.

and written by Jennifer Wenn

The Royal Family Series:

A FAMILY AFFAIR

NEVER HAD A DREAM COME TRUE

THE BEAUTY OF YOU

AN HEIRESS IN DISGUISE

The Barnesville Collection:

A FATHER FOR DAISY

ALWAYS YOU

PLEASE BE MY VALENTINE

Please

Be My Valentine

by

Jennifer Wenn

A Barnesville Novella

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales, is entirely coincidental.

Please Be My Valentine

COPYRIGHT © 2018 by Jenny Wennergrund

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission of the author or The Wild Rose Press, Inc. except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews.

Contact Information: [e-mail]

Cover Art by Cover Artist

The Wild Rose Press, Inc.

PO Box 708

Adams Basin, NY 14410-0708

Visit us at www.thewildrosepress.com

Publishing History

First Champagne Rose Edition, 2018

Digital ISBN 978-1-5092-1849-3

A Barnesville Novella

Published in the United States of America

Dedication

To Stefan — Forever my Valentine

Chapter One

I need a book.

Ripping her gaze and mind from the column of numbers she was trying to sum up, Leonore Brody bit back a deep sigh as she recognized the man standing on the other side of the library counter.

Ben.

He nodded slightly in greeting, his large hands twisting his filthy cap, which caused dirt to fall onto the newly polished wooden counter top. She knew some must have landed on the floor as well. Irritated, she closed the heavy ledger with a snap, ignoring the confused look she got from him and the irritated ones from the disturbed readers throughout the room. She knew she was overreacting—no one had ever died of a little dirt—but lately she seemed unable to stop herself from lashing out. Usually she was the most serene and even person. Or as Paul, her now former fiancé, had called her the other day as he ended their eleven-year-long relationship—boringly frigid.

Sorry, Ben said softly as he followed the direction of her sour stare and noticed the dirt on the surface between them. I didn’t mean to make a mess.

Of course he didn’t mean to. Benjamin Emerson never meant any harm—never had, never would. He was a simple, kind man, living for the farm his family had owned for generations. He was a few years older than she was, but because of the farm work constantly coming between him and his education, they had been classmates her senior year in high school.

The old Leonore wouldn’t have thought twice about it, but this new, snarky Leonore grabbed a tissue and carefully collected the dirt from the counter before marching over to the broom behind her, the sound of her heels echoing in the large, high-ceilinged room. She clutched the innocent tool angrily and without mercy started to brush the dirt aside.

Would you mind? she snarled as the broom hit his heavy boots, and he took a step back, leaving more dirt on the floor. One could think that you should have changed clothes before coming here. This library is a delicate environment, you know.

Sorry, he repeated, just as softly.

Embarrassment over her own bad behavior made her feel warm and uncomfortable. Granny