Golden Creek Series by Janet Lee Barton

After her aunt suffers a stroke, Sierra Ramsey comes home to stay in Golden Creek, determined to stay but dreading to run into the man she’d once loved and then walked out on—without telling him why. Even though she thought she was doing the right thing for his sake, she’s lived to regret it. But the reasons why haven’t changed and she can’t see how things would ever have worked for them... moreAfter her aunt suffers a stroke, Sierra Ramsey comes home to stay in Golden Creek, determined to stay but dreading to run into the man she’d once loved and then walked out on—without telling him why. Even though she thought she was doing the right thing for his sake, she’s lived to regret it. But the reasons why haven’t changed and she can’t see how things would ever have worked for them. When she finds he’s now a widower with a child, by a chance meeting with his mother-in-law, her heart breaks once more that he’d made a life for himself fairly soon after she left. But when her aunt tells her all the family has gone through and then Clint’s mother-in-law telephones that evening and offers her a job that she needs as badly as they need help, compassion and common sense wins out and Sierra finds herself accepting against her better judgement. When Clint finds out that his mother-in-law has hired Sierra as a nanny to his daughter, he’s livid and is determined to find a way to let Sierra go. That is, until his young daughter takes to her in a way she’s never taken to anyone else and his in-laws accept her with open arms. For the sake of the family he loves, he tries to accept that the Lord has sent Sierra to help them in a time of need and prays she doesn’t run out and leave his little girl—or anyone else heartbroken. It doesn’t take long until the two realize that they never stopped loving one another, but can they face the past and find a way back to what they once were, or will there be hearts left broken once more? less

Trey Ramsey has been dreading going to see his best buddy’s widow for too long. He’d made a promise he had to keep and there was no more putting it off. When he meets Laney McCoy in person, she’s all he expected and more, but she looks awfully tired and the urge to help out is strong. Laney isn’t sure how much longer she can hold on to the ranch she loves... moreTrey Ramsey has been dreading going to see his best buddy’s widow for too long. He’d made a promise he had to keep and there was no more putting it off. When he meets Laney McCoy in person, she’s all he expected and more, but she looks awfully tired and the urge to help out is strong. Laney isn’t sure how much longer she can hold on to the ranch she loves. When Trey Ramsey delivers the items her husband asked him to bring her, should anything happen to him, she’s unsettled by the attraction she feels to him. But later that night, when she goes through the box he brought, Laney is thankful Trey came by. The last letter her husband wrote her frees Laney to make whatever decision she has to about the ranch and knowing that takes a load off her mind. Still, putting it up for sale is the last thing she wants to do. Then Trey Ramsey begins to stop by to help out, and her pride wants to say she doesn’t need help. But Trey is even more stubborn than she is about being there for her, and she soon has to admit that his help is a real blessing. However, the attraction she feels toward him makes her feel disloyal to the husband she’d loved so much. Between working together and sharing Thanksgiving and Christmas festivities, it’s not long before Trey realizes that he was halfway in love with Laney before he ever met her. But his growing feelings make him feel he’s betraying his best friend and he won’t act on them. Besides, what woman would want a man who might not be able to protect her when she could be most vulnerable? When it looks like Laney may have to sell her ranch, Trey comes up with an idea that could help them both. Will she agree to it? And if she does, will it make things more difficult for each of them? Will they both keep denying their feelings for one another or will they finally see the Lord’s hand in it all? less