“It’s the sign of a true artisan when he can create beauty from what others consider trash. It takes heart to use a twisted bit of scrap and make something from it as if it were good wood.”
Somehow Joe survived the unlivable, and now he’s just going through the motions. An endless string of one night stands does little to dull the ache from all he’s lost. Even though he distracts himself daily with back-breaking work, his violent rage still simmers just under the surface.
Then along comes Molly, the feisty baby sister of his two best friends. Joe hasn’t seen her in years, and he’s unprepared for his reaction to her when she falls out of the food truck and into his arms. Molly is still as mouthy as ever, and now she’s as delicious as the food she’s serving up. It’s totally against “The Bro Code”, but he just can’t seem to keep his hands off of her.
Molly has come back home to Austin to mend fences and feed a whole new crowd. Dealing with Joe’s demons doesn’t figure into her business model. Something is very different about him and she craves the ‘Old Joe’ she used to have a crush on.
Still, the broody carpenter’s swagger is damn near irresistible. And all work and no play makes Molly a cranky girl.
“A good chef can throw seemingly random ingredients into a pot and create something delicious. On rare occasions, fate does the same thing with hearts. With the right combination of elements at just the right time, a couple can fall head over heels in love. That being said, blending two lives can get messier than any kitchen and also a hell of a lot harder to clean up.”
Molly’s food truck took Austin by storm, and she’s got more prospects than she knows what to do with. Her crazy ex is out of the picture, and she’s moved in with her gorgeous boyfriend, Joe. She and Joe rarely see one another, and when they do, their time is squandered arguing. Molly’s anxious to break this cycle because the tension between them is literally making her sick.
After years alone and shattered, Molly has reawakened a part of Joe that he was sure couldn’t be revived. He’s terrified of losing her, but their combined baggage makes every step forward seem littered with landmines. Molly’s more than worth the fight, but she shouldn’t be the one he’s constantly battling. A master carpenter by trade, Joe has restored countless treasures which seemed beyond repair. He’s determined that he and Molly won’t be the exception.
Fate kicks in the door and rocks them to their very foundation. Boundaries are tested, tears shed, and Molly and Joe will question everything they think they know about themselves and each other.
“When we were kids, my cousins planned for their weddings like they were coronations. Sleepovers revolved around notebooks stuffed with clippings from bridal magazines and elaborate plans scrawled in purple ink. Horse drawn carriages, twenty tiered cakes, groomsmen in tails, and scads of bridesmaids, none of whom were nearly as pretty as the bride. Me? I’d just yawn and wander off to the backyard and play fetch with their dog. I never cared about any of that crap, at least not until I met Joe.”
With her wedding rapidly approaching, Molly’s days consist of herding Joe off to tux fittings and diaper changings times two. She misses life on the food truck, but she isn’t quite ready to leave the twins. Planning for every detail to be as perfect as her groom, she hopes her instincts are wrong that it’s all too good to be true.
Knowing Molly like he does, Joe can plainly see that his girl needs to decompress. She’s as stubborn as always, and talking her into a honeymoon without the babies proves easier said than done. Molly’s on edge about every little thing, from the nosey next door neighbor to cars speeding down their quiet street. While Joe revels in their otherwise blissful existence, he worries that Molly’s paranoia may be a symptom of something bigger.
Come back to Austin one last time for the wedding of Molly Elizabeth Hildebrandt and Joseph Samuel Jensen. Raise a glass in celebration alongside their family and closest friends. Wave goodbye as they ride off into the sunset toward a dark fork in the road that could destroy their happily ever after. Will they finally get their fairytale ending? Find out in Heartwood, the explosive conclusion to the Carved Hearts series.
Joe is super swoony…
Keep reading to see the full Love Note!
Baby Girl,
I never knew how much I could love someone until you came back into my life. Never compare yourself to another woman. To me there are no other women, only you.
Yours, Joe
Michelle Pace lives in north Texas with her husband, Les, who is also a novelist. She is the mother of two lovely daughters, Holly and Bridgette, and one uber-charismatic son, Kai. A former singer and actress, Michelle has always enjoyed entertaining people and is excited to continue to do so as a writer.
L.G.Pace III has spent several decades pouring creative energy into other things besides writing. He began his current journey by telling his two daughters bedtime stories about a magical realm and a hero named Terel. Though that story is still sitting unfinished in the electronic universe he has managed to bring three other stories out of the dark maelstrom of his mind for others to enjoy.
He dwells in the great state of Texas with his wife, novelist Michelle Pace and their children.
