CROSSED WIRES

By Fran Shaff

Classic Contemporary Romantic Comedy

Crossed Wires by Fran Shaff

All rights reserved

Smashwords Edition

Coypright 2010 by Fran Shaff

Characters, names and incidents used in this story are products of the imagination of the author and are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or by any information storage and retrieval system without permission in writing from the author.

August, 2010

Discover Fran Shaff books and short stories available in e-format, paperback and hardcover by visiting her website at: http://sites.google.com/site/fshaff

E-mail Fran Shaff at: WriterFran@gmail.com

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CROSSED WIRES

Hank Garcia left his tools in the van. The work order the office had given him didn’t specify what kind of wiring problem his next customer had, and he really didn’t care. After the way his secretary Lizzie Lancelot had been mixing up his calls since she’d become engaged two weeks ago, he was ready to quit.

He shut the door of his van a little more forcefully than he’d intended.

Unfortunately, he couldn’t quit his job. He was the owner of Garcia’s Electric.

He’d love to fire Lizzie, but she was his niece. And he’d promised his sister…never mind what he’d promised Louise. He couldn’t fire Lizzie.

It’d be nice if he could close the business until after Lizzie’s wedding. Maybe then his secretary would be operating at her normal, efficient capacity. Maybe, but he wouldn’t count on it.

Hank walked up the steps leading to the porch and wished he didn’t posses such a strong work ethic. If he had the ability to simply forget this call, he’d have the guts to play hooky. He badly needed a little r and r.

He tucked his gray tee shirt into his jeans and rang the bell next to the front door of the white two-story house. While he waited for a response he admired the black shutters. The owner was doing a nice job maintaining the house, he mused. He appreciated owners who took pride in their homes.

He rang the bell again. A few seconds passed before a young woman answered his call.

“Hello,” she said smiling up at him. “You’re a little early, but that’s okay. I’m ready.”

Hank’s breath caught, and he could feel his eyes doubling their size as he looked down at the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen. “I beg your pardon?” he said when he regained his ability to speak.

She flicked her slender fingers through her short, dark hair. “I said I’m ready.” He watched her full, red lips as she spoke. She was absolutely stunning.

“Ready?” he stammered. Blast! Why was he acting like such an idiot? He’d met tons of beautiful women in his life. Not one of them had ever thrown him off balance like this one had.

Her eyes started to sparkle, and a smile lit her face. She held out a delicate hand. “I’m Melanie Baker.”

As Hank grasped her warm, silky fingers, he felt his insides turning to jelly. “Hank Garcia.”

“Very nice to meet you, Hank. I am so pleased you could come by today,” she said, drawing back her hand. She straightened the collar on her turquoise sleeveless shirt.

“No problem, Miss Baker.” He cleared his throat in an attempt to restore the composure Miss Baker’s aura of beauty had stolen from him. “I’m afraid I’m not sure what you have in mind. Would you please explain?”

She picked up a small duffle bag which had been sitting on a chair near the door and slung it over her shoulder. “I have a nice surprise for you,” she said as she joined him on the porch. She closed the front door and locked it before she faced him again. “I hope you like hiking.”

“Hiking?” What was she talking about?

“Yes. When Cynthia told me you’re an outdoorsman, I figured you might enjoy the guided hike at Bear Lake State Park.”

“Bear Lake State Park? The park north of town?” The job she wanted him to do was in a park? He could work in a park, but why were they hiking to the job, and who the heck was Cynthia?

“Yes, I’m sure you’ve been there.”

He shrugged. “Of course.” He just hadn’t remembered the name of the park. He wasn’t remembering much of anything since he’d looked into Miss Baker’s emerald green eyes.

As she stood looking up at him, she raised her hand to his shoulder. “You seem a bit nervous. Please, don’t be anxious, Hank. I know blind dates are difficult, but I think we’ll have a great time.” She placed the hand she’d had on his shoulder into the pocket of her white shorts. “Like you, I love the outdoors. In fact, I’ve hiked in the state park dozens of times. I go fishing and scuba diving there as well.”

Date? She thought he was her blind date? “Miss Baker, I think we have a misunderstanding.”

She withdrew her hand from her pocket and gave it a casual wave. “Oh, of course. I should have asked if you’d rather do something besides hiking. It’s just that I hadn’t taken the guided hike, and I’ve really wanted to take it. I am sort of a botany enthusiast, and I haven’t identified all the plants on the trails yet.” She gave him a sweet smile. “Would you rather go scuba diving?”

“Miss Baker,” he said, only half listening to what she said, “I don’t think we--wait a minute. Did you say scuba diving?” Her words finally began to register.

“Yes, and, please, call me Melanie. A dive shop opened last spring near the park. We can rent gear and a boat there.”

He’d been saving up for scuba gear ever since Lizzie and Louise had talked him into getting his certification earlier in the year. “I love scuba diving.”

“You do?”

“Absolutely!” What was he saying? What was he doing? If he pretended to be this woman’s blind date, he’d be the jerk of the year.

But he loved scuba diving, and he needed an afternoon off. He had the time, too, thanks to the mess Lizzie had made of his schedule again.

“It’s settled then. We’ll go diving instead of hiking,” she said, giving him another of her man-melting smiles.

“Why not?” He placed his hand on her back and urged her to cross the porch.

She stopped half way between the front door and the steps and turned round to look up at him. She quirked a brow and gave him a puzzled look. “I thought Cynthia told me you had black hair and blue eyes.”

Busted!

He swallowed hard and nervously drove his fingers through his curly brown hair. But before he could begin his explanation, she went on.

“Don’t get me wrong,” she said, laying her hand on his forearm, “I love brown eyes.”

Hank knew her hand should not be on his arm. He knew he should straighten out this mix up. But his sense of fair play seemed to be out to lunch. His work facade had blown away, and his date persona was taking over. “Emerald green eyes like yours are true gems,” he said, giving her one of his most charming smiles. Okay, sometimes he got a little corny on dates.

“Oh, Hank,” she said, playfully tapping his forearm. “You’re going to make me blush.” She linked her arm with his and tugged him to the steps. “We’d better get going before all the scuba gear is rented.” She took a few steps before she turned toward him again, dropping his arm. “You know, I must be really scatter brained today. I thought Cynthia said your name was Bill or Bruce or Brad, something with a ‘B.’”

Her comment hit him like a sledgehammer to the gut. He had to put an end to this charade. “Melanie, there is something I need to tell you.”

“Yes, Hank?”

It would be a lot easier to tell her the truth if she wasn’t the most perfect woman he’d ever met. She wasn’t only beautiful she was full of life, so free and happy. And she liked to scuba dive. “It isn’t easy to say, Melanie.”

She bit her lip as an awful look of apprehension settled on her lovely features. “You don’t like me.” She held her hands up in front of her and took a step back. “It’s all right, Hank. Believe me I’ve been on a few blind dates I would rather forget. It’s no fun going out with someone who is just not your type. I’m glad you feel uninhibited enough to speak up at the beginning of our date. I certainly wouldn’t want to put you through the agony of trying to look like you’re having a good time, when all you really want to do is get the date over with.”

Hank would have been less surprised if he’d seen her sprout wings and fly away than he was hearing her jumping to such an unbelievable conclusion. “Melanie, you couldn’t be more wrong. If I had a choice of being anywhere else or of being with anyone else in the whole world, I would choose to be with you right here right now.”

“You’re sure?”

“Absolutely! I love scuba diving, and, as for you…Melanie, you are truly lovely. It will be my pleasure to spend the afternoon with you.”

Her face lit with another man-melting smile when her doubt went away. “I am so glad to hear that, Hank, because I think you…”

“Yes?”

She shook her head and linked arms with him again. “Never mind. I will not jump to anymore conclusions, not even good ones.”

“Whatever you say, Melanie.” It seemed being forthright was no longer an option. If he told her the truth, it would only put the awful, hurtful look back into her eyes. He didn’t want to see sadness or disappointment in her again. He would figure a way to straighten things out later, after he’d spent the afternoon with her. They could deal with the consequences of his secret after their date.

“You’re an electrician?” she asked when she saw his van.

“You say that like it’s a crime.” He couldn’t help but notice the tone she’d used.

“Forgive me.” She smiled at him as he guided her down the stairs. “I thought Cynthia said you were a plumber.”

“No, ma’am, I’m an electrician. Always have been.”

She sighed lightly. “I suppose the anxiety of facing another blind date has left me a bit confused. Cynthia is always setting me up. I tried dozens of times to get her to stop, but she won’t.” She shrugged and tossed her curls with her fingers. “I’ve finally given up and started agreeing to most of her setups.” She focused on him and bit the corner of her mouth. “I guess this time, I owe Cynthia a big thank you,” she said, giving him a coy smile.

Tell her the truth! his angelic conscience ordered.

Let her think what she wants and enjoy the afternoon, his devilish rival told him.

She took his hand as she continued to grin at him. “I don’t see a state park sticker on your van. We should probably take my car. We won’t have to pay an admission price then. I have a season pass to the park.”

Hank agreed. He enjoyed the touch of her palm against his as he took Melanie to her car. He helped her into the driver’s side and walked around to the passenger side When he sat down he decided he had to come clean with her. Lying wasn’t fair.

“I feel I must tell you something, Melanie, something you have a right to know,” he said, watching her start the car.

She briefly glanced at him before she focused on maneuvering the car out of the driveway. “Oh? What is so important?”

He didn’t want to hurt her feelings, but--. “I…ah…I…”

Her right hand left the steering wheel while her left guided the car down the street. The next thing Hank knew, she was placing her warm, silky fingers on top of the hand he’d laid between them.

“You don’t have to say it, Hank. This has happened to me before.”

“It has?”

“Yes. Cynthia is no private detective. She doesn’t always check out the dates she sends my way as thoroughly as she might. She’s a persuasive person, and I know she can talk anyone into anything.”

“She can?” He had no idea where Melanie was going with her explanation, but he had a feeling he should let her continue before he set her straight if she’d jumped to the wrong conclusion again.

“Yes, she can. You’re not the first gay man who has been roped into a date with me.”

“What!” He sat forward and turned toward her. “I am not gay!” he said, placing his hand over his chest.

She glanced at him briefly before returning her gaze to the road ahead. “You’re not?”

“No!”

“Oh,” she said forming her lips into a perfect circle. “You seemed so hesitant to say what was on your mind, I figured something big must have been bothering you.”

“I’m not gay,” he said again. For some reason he had to be absolutely certain she was clear on his sexual orientation.

“I believe you,” she said, grinning at him again. “I have nothing against gay men, but it is a huge relief to learn you are as straight as I thought you were. I’ve been imagining the two of us together ever since I opened my front door. Some of what I see the two of us doing with each other I couldn’t do with a gay man.”

Ooh, this lady knew how to flirt.

“Oh?” he said, raising a brow. “I like the sound of that.” He gave her his most charming smile. “Would you care to elaborate?”

Her cheeks turned crimson as she focused on the road. Hank thought it sweet that she was blushing.

“I don’t think I need to elaborate, Hank. You seem like a very perceptive man,” she said, stealing a glance in his direction.

He leaned back and decided he’d better just shut up and enjoy the drive.

“Hank?”

“Yes?”

“If you aren’t gay, as I mistakenly concluded, what is it you wanted to tell me?”

A lump formed beneath his ribs. “I guess…”

Don’t miss this opportunity, his fair-minded brain advised.

Keep your mouth shut! his libido argued.

“Yes?”

“I guess I must have forgotten.” Fortunately, the angel conscience which had bothered him before had taken a coffee break. The naughty boy side of him was now in charge of his personality. That usually got him into trouble, but it was the kind of trouble men always enjoyed before regrets set in.

“Good. Now we can concentrate on having fun this afternoon,” she said, giving him another playful grin, “and on getting to know each other real well.”

“Sounds perfect,” Hank replied.

As they drove to Bear Lake State Park, he had plenty of time to appreciate Melanie’s allure. The beauty of the hills and trees surrounding them, gorgeous as they were, couldn’t compete with the lovely lady driving the car.

Bits of guilt spattered his insides from time to time, but Hank managed to chase them away by promising himself he’d tell Melanie the whole truth after they’d finished diving.

It wasn’t long before they arrived at the dive shop where they rented gear and a blue and white speedboat. Moments later, Melanie was changed into the yellow bikini she’d brought along with the hiking gear in her duffle bag, and Hank was wearing the black swim shorts he’d purchased at the beach store next door to the scuba shop.

The hours that followed were among the most magnificent Hank had ever known. Melanie was an excellent diver. She practiced safety every moment without letting her caution interfere with her adventurous personality.

The water was warm enough for the two of them to swim without the encumbrance of wet suits. This freedom encouraged them to behave playfully. The whole experience was blissfully freeing, almost spiritual.

As they communicated with hand signals while observing blue gills, carp, bass, and a spare tire or two caught in the red granite bottom of the lake, Hank had no trouble understanding everything Melanie was trying to say. It was as though he could read her mind. They had such a strong connection.

When they came to the surface at the end of their second dive, Melanie was laughing with pleasure. She dropped her regulator into the water and lifted her mask to the top of her head. “Did you see that huge catfish? I’ve never seen one so big! It must have been five feet long!”

“Of course, I saw it,” Hank said, after he’d lifted his mask and removed the regulator from his mouth. “I thought for a moment it was going to eat me!”

She laughed harder, and Hank swam next to her. “I have to admit, he was a little scary looking.”

“He was at that.” Hank reached toward her. “Let me take your tank. I’ll put it on the platform.”

Melanie slipped off her backpack and handed it to him. “Thanks.”

Hank went to the platform at the back of the boat and placed her air tank on it. He then deposited his tank, setting it next to hers.

When he swam back to Melanie, she splashed him and giggled at what she’d done.

He splashed her back.

She sent a wave of water in his direction.

“Hey, what’s going on here?” he said as he wiped his face and smiled at her.

“I’ve been thinking about doing this all afternoon.”

“Splashing me like a mischievous little girl in the town pool?” he asked.

“Yup. It’s one of the things I thought about doing together with you.” The grin she sent him had sexuality written all over it.

“It was, huh?” He moved closer to her and took hold of her as he continued to tread water. He swam toward the boat, taking Melanie with him. He took off her mask which was resting above her forehead, and put it in the boat. He did the same with his own mask. He placed her between himself and the boat, hanging onto molding on either side of her. “And this is what I’ve been thinking of doing all afternoon with you.”

He leaned closer to her and kissed her sweetly.

She received him even more eagerly than he’d hoped she would.

He kissed her once more before he pulled back. When he looked into her eyes, he saw innocence and trust surfacing from her depths.

“I guess we’re on the same wave length, Hank.” She pressed her lips to his and coaxed him into a mind-blowing kiss.

As much as he enjoyed her seduction, he couldn’t ignore the guilt gnawing at his gut. He pulled back abruptly, ordering himself not to go one step further until he came clean with this lovely, trusting woman.

“What’s wrong?” Melanie asked. She looked confused, and he couldn’t blame her. It wasn’t normal for a man to back away when a goddess was offering him what Melanie had been offering--not for a straight man, anyway.

“Nothing,” he said, trying to squelch his remorse for lying to her. “I think we should get into the boat.” He took her to the ladder and helped her remove her fins. He tossed them into the boat and assisted her as she climbed the ladder.

When she was safely on board, he took off his fins and placed them in the boat before going up the ladder.

“I’m going to the rear of the boat to change into my clothes,” he said when he was on board. “You can change up front, if you’d like.”

He knew he’d be a lot more successful at telling her the truth if they were dressed. Melanie began to remove her dive vest, and Hank decided he’d better move quickly to the rear of the boat. If he saw her wearing nothing but her yellow bikini again, he’d never tell her the truth. Heck, he’d forget his own name the second he saw her clad in nothing but strings and spandex. She was completely irresistible in her provocative bikini.

She pushed back the sides of her vest. “I don’t need to get dressed. I’ll just slip on my cover up. I can dress after we go back.”

Hank turned away quickly, ordering himself not to look at her. He had to tell her the truth. He had stay focused.

Once he reached the back of the boat, he took the tanks from the platform and laid them in a corner. Then he took off his shorts, dried himself with the beach towel he’d bought and put on his clothes.

When he turned around, he saw Melanie, thankfully wearing her cover up, staring at him. A cell phone hugged her ear. He recognized it at once as his phone.

He swallowed hard. He could tell by the look on her face he was undoubtedly busted. He went to her.

“Goodbye,” she said. She flipped the phone shut and handed it to him. “Sorry. I thought my phone had fallen out of my bag. Our phones look exactly alike, and yours was lying next to my duffle. I answered it.”

Hank took the phone and stuck it into his pocket. “Who called?”

“Lizzie.”

He rubbed his hand over his face. As sure as Satan ruled Hell, he was caught in his web of lies. “Did she leave a message?”

“Yes,” she said, sheepishly. “She said the address she’d marked on your work order was wrong. You were supposed to go to 741 Laurel Lane.” She lifted a corner of her mouth and sent him a wry look. “I live at 714 Laurel Lane.”

“So that’s what happened,” Hank mumbled.

“I beg your pardon?”

He stepped closer to her. “No, Melanie. I’m the one who should be begging your pardon. You’re a smart woman. You know now after speaking with my secretary exactly what I did.” He folded his arms and gave her the most remorseful look he could produce. “I’ve been dishonest with you.”

She laid a hand on his arm, and she seemed to be biting back a smile. “You have?” she asked with a look of innocence so obviously fake a jury would give her the chair if she’d use it as a defense in court.

He leaned back, placing the majority of his weight on one foot as realization began to set in. “You knew about the deception all along, didn’t you?”

She pulled back her hand and started to chuckle. “I didn’t know until I saw your van. I knew the man Cynthia had set me up with was a plumber.”

Hank unfolded his arms and held out a hand casually. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

“Why didn’t you tell me?” she asked, lifting her chin.

He stared at her a long moment before he returned the smile she continued to hold on her face. “Because I’m a jerk. The moment you opened the door and I laid my eyes on you for the first time, I felt a connection with you. That has never happened to me before.”

“Oh?”

“Yes.” He reached toward her, almost touching her before he drew back his hand.

“So the second you saw me, you decided to lie to me?”

He shook his head. “No, it wasn’t like that at all. At first I didn’t know why you were talking to me the way you were. I’d just come to fix a wiring problem. When you started talking about hiking in the park, I had no idea what was going on.”

“Of course, you didn’t.”

“If you remember,” he said, looking at her carefully, “I did let you know I had something important I needed to tell you, and you said you knew what I meant.” He twisted the side of his face. “That happened a couple of times, didn’t it?”

She wiped a finger over her cheek as though she were trying to wipe the persistent smile off her face. “Yes, it did.”

“The first time I tried to explain, you thought I wanted to cancel our date.”

“But we didn’t have a date,” she said coyly.

“You know what I mean. You looked so disheartened, I lost the nerve I needed to go through with my confession. The second time I tried to explain--”

“I concluded you were trying to tell me you were gay.”

“Yes, you did.” The whole notion of her thinking of him in that way had made him very uncomfortable. If that’s who a man was, fine, but he was not gay.

She released a lively chuckle as she took hold of his hand. “Well, neither of us has any doubt about your orientation now, do we?” She squeezed his hand and drew him closer.

As she stretched up to get closer to him, he knew she was about to kiss him.

He touched her shoulder and set her back on flat feet.

“Why did you push me away?” she asked.

He frowned at her. “We’re not finished talking yet. I’ve told you why I lied to you, but you never told me why you lied to me.”

“I lied to you?” She was showing her cute fake innocence again.

He couldn’t help but grin at her. She was just so freaking cute…and sexy. “You know darn well you did. You said you knew I wasn’t your blind date when you saw my van. Why didn’t you shove me off your porch and tell me to get lost?”

She tilted her head and sent him a grin as a lovely shade of crimson colored her cheeks. “You’re not the only one who can fall for someone the second she sees him.”

“Oh?” He liked what he heard.

“The instant I met you I thought good ol’ Cynthia had finally done me a favor--a huge favor. She’d sent me a man I knew I had a connection with the moment I saw him. That has never happened to me before either. So,” she said, squeezing his hand again, “when I realized you weren’t the man Cynthia had sent, I made a decision. If you wanted to pretend with me, I would pretend with you, and we’d see where it would lead.”

“You were teaching me a lesson?” He wasn’t sure what she meant.

She shook her head and gave his hand another squeeze. “No, absolutely not. I did give you ample opportunity to end the charade, if you wanted to. You do remember, don’t you? Ultimately, I reminded you that you had said you wanted to tell me something important. When you said you’d forgotten what you’d wanted to say, I knew you were committed to carrying out your charade. At that point, I committed myself to keeping my secret as well.”

“So we’re both jerks?”

She gave him a crooked nod. “That’s about the size of it.”

He tugged on her hand and drew her close to him. “I’ve never seen a more beautiful jerk in my life,” he growled as he pressed his cheek against hers.

She placed her arms around him and lifted her lips to meet his.

He kissed her soundly, possessively, and he knew by her response she was open to him in every way.

When he pulled back, he stared into her lovely emerald eyes. “Would you like to have dinner with me tonight?”

“I thought you’d never ask,” she cooed. She stretched up and kissed him briefly before settling once again on flat, bare feet.

“Great. I’m starving. Diving always makes me hungry.” He touched her chin and smiled at her. “What do you say we go straight to The Coffee Shop for their old-fashioned chicken fry as soon as you change into your street clothes?”

She took the finger he’d placed on her chin and kissed it. “Sounds heavenly, but I’m afraid we can’t.”

His brows crept together. He hadn’t expected her to turn him down. “We can’t? Why not?”

“Your secretary said Mr. Mendoza from 741 Laurel was about to sue you for breech of contract. You were supposed to arrive at his house hours ago to fix the wiring to his hot tub. Lizzie said if he misses his six o’clock soak, he’s up all night with his arthritis.”

Hank shoved his hands into his jeans pockets. “Oh, brother! The missed call. I forgot all about it.” He placed a hand on her shoulder. “I’m sorry. Would you mind if we went straight back to town and I took care of the Mendoza call before we had dinner?”

She rocked back on her heels and folded her arms. “Hank, I would be real disappointed in you if you weren’t considerate enough to take care of Mr. Mendoza and his arthritis before you kept our date.”

She was perfect. His gut instinct about her had been completely correct. “Then let’s head back.”

“I’m all for that--in just a minute.”

“You have something else to say first?”

“Yes.” She clasped her hands in front of her. “While you’re working at Mr. Mendoza’s I’ll grill some steaks and bake some potatoes. We’ll have a picnic in my backyard. After all, you’ll be working just up the street from me.”

“That sounds wonderful.” Perfect, perfect.

“And after dinner…” She was giving him one of her patented sexy, flirtatious, man-melting grins again.

“Yes?”

“After dinner I will tell you more about the list of things I can do with you which I couldn’t have done with you if you were gay.”

A chuckle slipped across his lips. “You’re going to elaborate?” he asked, lifting a brow.

She took hold of his shirt and pulled him closer. “I’m going to be very precise,” she said distinctly.

He swallowed hard and tried to keep his wild imagination in check. “Care to give me any hints now?”

She seemed to be considering granting his request. “I suppose I could,” she said coquettishly. She let go of his shirt and leaned back.

He waited anxiously, wondering what her next provocative move would be.

“But then…if I told you now…it might spoil the game.”

“The game? What game?”

She waved her hand back and forth between them. “The game we’re playing right now, Hank, the game men and women have played for thousands of years.”

“It’s a great game,” he said, tucking one of her curls behind her ear.

“And it’s one we can both win.” She went to him, and he gathered her into his arms.

He kissed her sweetly before he pressed his cheek against hers. “Know what, Melanie?”

“What?” she said as she snuggled closer.

“I’m glad I’m not gay.”

“Me too, Hank, me too.”

THE END

About the Author

Fran Shaff is the author of contemporary and historical sweet romance, young peoples’ novels and short stories. She began writing in 1999, and she continues to produce romance and children’s novels. Her books are available in hardcover, paperback and e-book formats. Her short stories have appeared in such places as Woman’s World magazine and at prominent places on the Internet.

Fran is a native of South Dakota. She has also lived in Nebraska, Minnesota, Wisconsin and Illinois. Fran’s books are found in libraries and bookstores throughout the country and on the Internet.

Awards and Honors

Fran Shaff has won the following awards and honors: Write Touch Readers’ Award, More than Magic Award, Herbert W. Blakely Award, Golden Rose Award, EPPIE nomination for children’s literature, two Recommended Read Awards from Fallen Angel Reviews, Top Pick Award from Romance Reader at Heart, E-book of the Month Award from MyShelf.com, and two CataRomance Reviewers’ Choice Awards, one nomination.

Books by Fran Shaff which are currently available or coming soon in hardcover, paperback and electronic formats include: “The Trading Game,” “Change of Heart,” “Montana Match,” “The Love Trap,” “Ever so Humble,” “A Partner’s Promise,” The Heart Junction Series consisting of “Laura’s Lost Love,” “Stephanie’s Surprise and “Mari’s Miracle,” “Montana Magic,” “Stolen Son,” “Kelly and the Candidate,” “For Love of Maggie,” and more. Short stories include “Crossed Wires” and “Married While Intoxicated.”

For more information on all of Fran Shaff’s currently-available books visit her website at http://sites.google.com/site/fshaff her MySpace page at: www.myspace.com/franshaff her Twitter page at: www.twitter.com/franshaff You’ll also find her at Facebook, Jacket Flap, Good Reads and Linked In.

Table of Contents

Crossed Wires