Table of Contents
PRAISE FOR
REWRITING MONDAY
Jodi Thomas again delivers a delightful, character-driven tale of modern Texas.... Heartwarming, heart-tugging, and just plain good reading. Romance Reviews Today
Thomas seamlessly weaves past and present into a gripping novel of contemporary romantic suspense, as Pepper begins to appreciate the accomplishments of previous generations and to enjoy true friendship and a sense of belonging for the first time in her life. Booklist
[Jodi Thomas] paints beautiful pictures with her words, creates characters that are so real you feel as though theyre standing next to you, and she has a deliciously wry sense of humor.... I enjoyed this book from page one until the endand thoroughly recommend it. Romance Novel TV
If reading a new book is like opening a box of chocolates, then I got the one with cherry insidemy favoritewhen I read Rewriting Monday.... This is quite a rich story with touching characters that seem real and behave like real people.... I loved it. The Book Smugglers
PRAISE FOR
TWISTED CREEK
Twisted Creek will weave its way around the readers heart. Compelling and beautifully written, it is exactly the kind of heart-wrenching, emotional story one has come to expect from Jodi Thomas.
Debbie Macomber, #1 New York Times bestselling author
Jodi Thomas is a masterful storyteller. She grabs your attention on the first page, captures your heart, and then makes you sad when it is time to bid her wonderful characters farewell. You can count on Jodi Thomas to give you a satisfying and memorable read. Twisted Creek is absolutely delightful.
Catherine Anderson, New York Times bestselling author
Thomas sketches a slow, sweet surrender, keeping the tension building to a rewarding resolution in this unsentimental, homespun romance. Publishers Weekly
Twisted Creek is a wonderful, character-driven tale that tells just what a family can be, even if its made up of a bunch of lonely friends... Romance blooms slowly, but for two nearly lost souls, its rewarding when it does... As usual, Jodi Thomas kept me up way later than normal! Twisted Creek could be anywhere, but Ms. Thomas makes it uniquely Texan with her wonderful characters and great dialogue. This is another thought-provoking novel to add to your Jodi Thomas collection. Romance Reviews Today
Romantic suspense and sweet womens fiction are an unlikely combination, but in Twisted Creek, veteran storyteller Jodi Thomas makes the pairing work quite well. Allies love for her aging grandmother is sensitively portrayed, while her blossoming relationship with Luke simmers unforgettably in the background. This is a moving story about overcoming hardship and bitterness and about being brave enough to make a happy endingno matter what it takes.Romance Junkies
Titles by Jodi Thomas
WELCOME TO HARMONY
REWRITING MONDAY
TWISTED CREEK
THE LONE TEXAN
TALL, DARK, AND TEXAN
TEXAS PRINCESS
TEXAS RAIN
THE TEXANS REWARD
A TEXANS LUCK
WHEN A TEXAN GAMBLES
THE TEXANS WAGER
TO WED IN TEXAS
TO KISS A TEXAN
THE TENDER TEXAN
PRAIRIE SONG
THE TEXAN AND THE LADY
TO TAME A TEXANS HEART
FOREVER IN TEXAS
EXAS LOVE SONG
TWO TEXAS HEARTS
THE TEXANS TOUCH
TWILIGHT IN TEXAS
THE TEXANS DREAM
Prologue
JANUARY 2006
A SLIVER OF A CRESCENT MOON ROSE OVER THE FARMHOUSE Stella and Bob McNabb leased five miles outside Harmony, Texas. Stella sat up in bed as if shed heard a cannon.
Bob tugged off his headphones, flipped on the reading light, and waited. He hadnt been asleep, but Stella always insisted they go to bed together, so most nights he plugged in to a ball game on the radio and listened while she wiggled herself to sleep.
Ive had a vision, she announced. A terrible vision, all black smoke and fire.
In the forty years theyd been married, shed had a hundred visions and as far as he knew none of them had come true. Now, Stella, just because you play the fortune-teller at the 4-H fair once a year doesnt make you psychic. The visions probably tied to the three enchiladas you had for supper.
She glared at him, and he couldnt help but think she was one woman who definitely looked better with makeup on. Lots of makeup.
But I saw it, Bob. Some strange kind of storms coming. A big one. The kind of storm that shatters lives.
He patted her hand. Dont you worry about a storm. We could use the rain.
She turned away from him and wiggled back down into the covers. I got Gypsy blood in me on my mothers side and I know things. We better get ready, cause troubles coming.
All right, hon, Ill stay awake and worry. You go back to sleep. He put on his headphones and stared out the open window at the cloudless sky, knowing nothing much ever happened in Harmony, Texas. Odds were, nothing ever would.
Chapter 1
FEBRUARY 2006
AS THE OLD FORD PICKUP STOPPED AT THE FIRST STREETLIGHT past the city limit sign, Reagan jumped off the back. Harmony, Texas, population 14,003.
She doubted the driver even noticed her departure. At the truck stop in Oklahoma City hed only looked at the pint of whiskey she offered him in exchange for the ride.
That was the way Reagan preferred it. In the sixteen years of her life, any time someone had bothered to watch her closely, trouble followed. No one could track her this time. By morning the farmer would have a hangover and little memory of her.
For once, no one would look for herthanks to a runaway whod taken her bed at the shelter. Even if the impostor was discovered, foster care wouldnt search too long or hard for her. In fact, if she guessed right, theyd mark Reagan Moore off their rolls by noon as if she were resting in Resurrection Memorial Cemetery in northwest Oklahoma City. The druggie whod climbed in to sleep in Reagans bed had found a place to rest, and Reagan had found a way to disappear.
Flinging her backpack over one shoulder, Reagan slipped into the shadows. Harmony had been her goal for almost a year and, finally, she was here. It didnt matter if the place measured up to her dreamsnothing ever hadbut at least shed made it. Shed accomplished what she set out to do. She found the little town in the middle of nowhere. Reagan couldnt help but smile.
Six months ago she decided this place was her hometown, so she had to at least see the small farming community. No one would ever know this was her first time to set foot in town. For her, and for them, she was simply and finally coming home.
Walking in the shadows, she took in the place like an art student taking in the Louvre. Brick streets. Storefronts without bars that pull down at night. A movie theater at the far end of Main with lights blinking. Traffic moving as slow as if passing time and in no hurry to get anywhere. She felt like shed stepped into an enchanted world.
This street was called Old Main, she remembered from an article shed read. New Main was at the other end of town, where tire stores, a shopping mall of four one-story stores, and five small restaurants had been built. But here, on Old Main, was the way she always imagined the town to be.
