Rekindling an Old Flame

By Samantha Gentry

When interior decorator Skylar Rogers' car breaks down in the small town of Willow Springs, she's unprepared for a reunion with the man who once stole her heart and ripped it to shreds. That doesn't stop the erotic desires he ignites. She'll only be in town a few days, though. What could it hurt to take a little tumble down memory lane?

World famous bestselling author Cameron Amory is shocked to discover his college lover in his hometown. He never stopped loving her and has always regretted leaving her behind. Now, he'll do whatever it takes to win back her trust and her love. Has too much time gone by, or can he rekindle an old flame?

• Language: English
• Publisher: The Wild Rose Press
• Release date: Sep 9, 2019
• ISBN: 9781509227921

Samantha Gentry

I've lived most of my life in Los Angeles and earned my living for twenty years by working in television production. I was always interested in writing and dabbled at it, but not seriously. I combined my interest in writing with my avocation of photography and began doing magazine articles featuring my photographs. After selling several articles, I discovered I enjoyed the writing process as much as the photography. My friends told me I should make use of my television contacts and write scripts. I enrolled in a screen writing class at UCLA. By the close of class I knew screen writing was not for me. The other thing I knew was that I wanted to write novels rather than magazine articles.

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Rekindling an Old Flame

Deerbourne Inn

by

Samantha Gentry

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.

Rekindling an Old Flame

COPYRIGHT © 2019 by Samantha Gentry

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 Diana Carlile

The Wild Rose Press, Inc.

PO Box 708

Adams Basin, NY 14410-0708

Visit us at www.thewildrosepress.com

Publishing History

First Scarlet Rose Edition, 2019

Digital ISBN 978-1-5092-2792-1

Published in the United States of America

PRAISE FOR AUTHOR

Samantha Gentry

STEAMY ENCOUNTER

Samantha Gentry is an awesome writer who spins a tale of so much interest you have to fall in love with the characters and the book itself!

~5/5 Hearts from The Romance Studio

UNEXPECTED ENCOUNTER

Ms. Gentry has believable characters that are well written. She tells a visual tale with words.

~5/5 Angels from Fallen Angel Reviews

MASKED ENCOUNTER

This is another story that will be placed prominently in my short story library.

~Joyfully Reviewed

SUMMER SIZZLE

Ms. Gentry is an extraordinary voice in today's romance market.

~5/5 Hearts from The Romance Studio

DÉJÀ VU

This was such a romantic, adventurous, thrilling read; a skillful suspense story with a fantastic ending.

~4/5 Hearts from The Romance Studio

Chapter One

The tow truck driver unhooked the small red sports car. A woman in her early to mid-thirties stepped out of the truck cab as she scanned the garage’s interior. Her already distraught mood sank a little deeper. A feeling of helplessness welled inside her as she noted the number of cars apparently waiting for a mechanic’s attention.

They look busy with their regular customers. Probably won’t be able to get to me for a while. She ran her fingers through her short auburn hair, the motion more of a nervous habit than a need to rearrange her hairstyle.

Don’t worry, Ms. Rogers. Brownley’s Garage will fix you up just fine. Good luck.

Thank you. As she headed across the garage toward the door marked Office, it opened and a tall man with dark hair emerged.

Skylar Rogers? He offered a friendly smile and a warm handshake. I’m Tad Brownley. You seem to have a problem. What happened? He fastened a work order to his clipboard then jotted down some basic information—make and model of the car, vehicle identification number, license plate, and the mileage.

I’m not sure. All of a sudden it made a terrible noise, then the engine just stopped and I couldn’t get it started again. She watched as he attempted to start the car, then looked under the hood and checked several things. Next, he hooked the car up to the computer analyzer and ran a system check.

A frown creased his forehead. This doesn’t look good. Let’s go into my office.

Tad showed her the computer readout and explained each item on the list. As soon as I have authorization from your insurance company, I can order the parts and get started.

She shook her head in dismay as she stared at the dollar amount. Her hope for easy resolution rapidly sank into oblivion along with the positive attitude she had been trying to maintain. My car is still in warranty for another three months.

The words had unintentionally escaped into the open, her despair muttered more to herself than to the owner of the garage. Even though her out-of-pocket obligation for repairs shouldn't be anything, it seemed like an extensive list of repairs, especially for a vehicle she still considered a new car.

She looked up and caught a moment of eye contact with Tad. How long is all of this going to take?

The actual repairs will be less than a day. What will take time is getting the approval from the manufacturer regarding your warranty status, then getting the parts. Nothing like this is in stock around here. No one in Willow Springs has this type of foreign sports car. But I should be able to get the parts from Burlington without any problem. I’ll contact the car manufacturer right away. Our most immediate problem is that this is Friday. I don’t anticipate hearing anything before late Monday…at the earliest. He wrinkled his brow into a bit of a frown. More likely by Tuesday afternoon. They’ll need a statement from you before they give any attention to my request for an authorization to do repairs.

The anxiety churning in the pit of her stomach turned to despair. It had become obvious that she would be stuck in the small town of Willow Springs, Vermont, for several days. The realization told her what she didn’t want to acknowledge. She would need to pay the expense of accommodations and food for however long it took. Then an errant thought hit her, one not nearly as important as the matter of her car repairs. What in the world was there to do in Willow Springs for the days she would be stuck there? Would she end up being relegated to a motel somewhere with nothing to do but read and watch television? Did Willow Springs even have a bookstore or a movie theater?

Heaving a sigh of resignation, she nodded in agreement. I don’t seem to have very many options. Do you have a recommendation for someplace where I can stay?

Well…the Fall Foliage Celebration is this weekend. It’s the time of year when tourists flock to New England from all over to enjoy the colorful pageant of the turning of the leaves, and we get our share of those visitors. I’ll call the Deerbourne Inn and check their availability.

Tad dialed the number and, a moment later, had the registration clerk on the phone. Jared, I know this is probably a futile call, but I have a lady here from out of state with serious car problems. She needs a place to stay for a few days. Do you have anything at all?

Jared’s upbeat personality came through the phone line. This is your lucky day, Tad. Just this morning we had a last minute cancellation.

That’s great. Her name is Skylar Rogers. Could you send Jason over with the shuttle bus to pick her up?

He’s just walking in the door now. I’ll have him over there in about ten minutes.

Tad helped Skylar unload her belongings from her car, then had her sign the necessary paperwork.

Jason pulled up in front of the garage. Skylar watched as the young man