| Copyright © 2008, Nancy
Pirri Reviews For DAME SAPPHIRE TREASURES by Nancy Pirri “The characters were fabulously described and so well developed. I’m sure readers will love them and the outcome of their stories. It was hard to put the book down at any point. Ms. Pirri’s style and the outcome of her writing skill are remarkable. I highly recommend this compilation.” Overall rating: 5 Hearts, Sensuality rating: Very sensual - Reviewer: Brenda Talley 5 Stars! “Nancy Pirri is the queen of romance. She has authored several books in several genres, but this will always be my favorite style. The romance has spice without being graphic. She develops the characters in such a way that they seem like friends. The plots flow smoothly, drawing the reader along into the river of romance. This is surely Pirri’s best book so far. I can hardly wait for the next one.” Reviewed by Debra Gaynor for ReviewYourBook.com Sample Chapter For DAME
SAPPHIRE TREASURES by Nancy Pirri
THE SHERIFF TAKES A WIFE Harmon Junction, Minnesota “Harmon Junction is looking for brides, my foot,” Summer Sanders muttered as she thought about the astonishing ad in the newspaper she’d tucked beneath her car seat. For the hundredth time, she contemplated the unpleasant reason she was driving across the country—to track down her runaway sister. Heaviness settled in her chest as she realized she might be too late to stop her from making a big mistake. After completing a two-month long modeling assignment in New York, Paris and Italy, Summer had arrived home to an empty apartment. On her pillow, she’d discovered a letter from Autumn, along with the newspaper ad. Autumn used to daydream, and spoke often of getting married and having babies, but to a complete stranger? Summer couldn’t fathom it. But then, she couldn’t contemplate marrying and having kids in the first place. She had goals to achieve and no room in her life for a husband and kids. Though she admitted there was nothing wrong with dreams, as long as a woman didn’t take them too seriously. And wouldn’t you know it? The air-traffic controllers decided to strike, with this looming personal disaster on her horizon, hence the reason why she was driving across the country instead of flying. She exited the highway onto the country road she’d been watching for, then drove a few more miles. She took a left turn onto another road simply named Main Street. There wasn’t another vehicle in sight. Trees lined either side of the road and the ground was cloaked in bushes in shades of greens and yellows. Up ahead, a faded green sign with white lettering made her straighten in her seat. Her heart raced, excitement kicking in when she realized she’d reached her destination. Her hand shook as she dug inside her purse for a cigarette, the one vice in her otherwise untainted life. After she lit it and took a satisfying drag, she glanced up into the rear-view mirror and groaned audibly. A tan-colored police car, rack of lights flashing, came up fast on her tail. “Damn!” With the palm of
her hand, she struck the steering wheel before pulling over to the side
of the road and reading the sign, Welcome to Harmon Junction, Minnesota. A cop was hot on her butt, probably hoping to make his daily quota of speeding tickets. “Population 540?” she said as she read the sign. That many people lived in her condo-complex in Los Angeles. As she waited for the officer, she took another drag on her cigarette. Unfortunately, this would be her third speeding violation in a year. She grimaced at the thought of her insurance rates escalating. She could blame her bad habits on the pressures of her modeling career but knew that was a poor excuse. Simply put, she’d always been in a hurry. FOR THE LOVE OF SAPPHIRE St. Louis, Missouri “I’m sorry to have to ask you again, Sis, but, as I said in my letter, I need money.” “Good heavens, Georgie,” Sapphire Jameson replied, glaring at her brother. “What have you done?” “Uh, Sapphire? Call me George. I’m too old for Georgie.” She smoothed her russet-colored skirts as she sat in the parlor of their family home. “Until you show me some measure of maturity, you will remain Georgie. Tell me what happened.” He paced the floor, tugging at his shirt collar nervously the whole time. “I’m not quite sure where to begin.” “From the beginning is usually a good place.” He grimaced. “I drank too much and lost everything playing cards.” “What do you mean by everything? Be specific, and to whom?” “Oh, damn, you’re not going to be happy to hear this.” She sighed. “I suppose I won’t, but you did write to me and ask me to travel over a thousand miles to help you.” “I’ve lost what little I had left of my inheritance to Patrick Falconer. Even if I hadn’t, it wasn’t enough to cover the debt. Which is why I’m asking you for help.” Sapphire placed her fingers against the racing pulse in her neck. “Patrick, you said?” He nodded. Heat seeped into the core of her as she thought about her ex-fiancé; thought about his tall, dark good looks, his charm. Oh, yes, Patrick could charm a woman. But he was also one of the worst pranksters she’d ever met. Sapphire thought of the tricks he and her brother played on her over the years. As a boy, Patrick could brew up a barrel of trouble and her brother happily followed in the older boy’s footsteps. To have to face Patrick again would be difficult, but she had no choice. She’d come to help George, even giving up her teaching position at Aimes Academy for Young Ladies in Upstate New York. Nothing had changed; she’d always made sacrifices for him. He was her baby brother, whom she adored, yet she knew it was long past time he grew up. At twenty-four, he should be mature. Heavens, he should be married by now with children in his nursery. Now who’s calling the kettle black? I should be married as well. “Well, there’s nothing we can do but pay him a visit and see if we can arrange some sort of repayment schedule,” she said sensibly. George pulled out his pocket watch and frowned. “Let me see if I can catch up with him tonight.” As he headed for the door, he said over his shoulder, “Thank you, Sis. I’ll be forever in your debt.” Didn’t she know it! PRINCESS SAPPHIRE July 1880 “Twenty-one-year-old women do not have guardians,” Laura Woodbury huffed. No wonder the ranch hands referred to her as Princess Sapphire, thought Matthew Black, stretched out in the side chair across from her. If it hadn’t been for the curve of her breasts, she could have been a child sitting behind the desk. He guessed her booted feet didn’t quite touch the floor. Bright red spots of color appeared on her fair cheeks, her complexion delicate as a porcelain doll. But the steel beneath that refined surface showed in her ramrod straight spine. “I am sorry, Miss Woodbury,” the solicitor, Samuel Simpson, replied. “You do need a guardian. Your father was quite adamant that you wouldn’t be able to run this ranch on your own. And Mr. Black is a capable man. Give him a chance, won’t you?” “But I had a perfectly capable foreman until Mr. Black decided to relieve him of his position. John Whitman was the best foreman we ever had.” Sitting beside the lawyer, Matthew Black decided she was deliberately ignoring him by failing to ask why he had to be present at the reading of her father’s will. Though they’d met before, the circumstances were certainly less amiable this time. “He was…until he showed a little bit too much personal interest in you,” Mr. Simpson said uncomfortably. MEANT TO BE Present Day Chicago “Excuse me?” a soft, feminine voice said. Nicholas Capra’s head shot up and he focused on a pretty, red-haired woman’s impish expression. She smiled. “I seem to be hooked on you.” He’d noticed her inside the airport terminal while waiting to board the airplane. Now he focused on her long, curly russet-colored hair, and on eyes that reminded him of dew-spiked grass in early spring. Her smile nudged an answering grin of male appreciation from him. The baby fidgeting in her arms drew his attention. Looking down, he saw that the strap of her diaper bag had caught on the arm of his seat. His legs were sardined into the narrow leg space, and he struggled to release the strap. Finally, he managed to free it. “Thanks,” she said as she turned away. “You’re welcome.” He returned to his game of solitaire, staring down at his computer monitor as his early warning system kicked in; Woman…baby…off limits. “Computers have taken all the fun out of playing solitaire.” He glanced up, surprised to see her standing beside him again, and shrugged. “Maybe, but in a moving vehicle you can’t beat the convenience of a computer. I grew tired of chasing cards all over the floors of planes and taxis.” “Good point,” she said. “Thanks again.” Nick turned in his seat and followed her as she struggled down the aisle. She carried a purse over her shoulder, the large diaper bag swung from her forearm, and the baby she had clutched against her breast. His roomy seat in first class would be better used by the woman and baby than by him, he mused guiltily. Some guy was lucky to have her as his wife and a cute kid. He’d been thinking often about marrying and starting a family himself. Of course, he knew the reason why. His mom and dad badgered him each time he visited. What? No girlfriend, yet? No girlfriend. Hardly any dates due to his hectic schedule at the hospital. As a pediatrician with a burgeoning practice, he had little time to call his own. He’d decided now to make time, though, especially whenever he saw his nieces and nephews. Just when he decided to give up his first-class seat, the seatbelt light came on to buckle up. By the time the light went off he glanced back to find both the redhead and her baby settled into her seat and sound asleep. Two hours later the airplane landed at the Minneapolis International Airport. Nick exited the plane and moved into the terminal, shuffling around people and gazing over the crowd, searching for his family. |