Heart Throbs #21

When Greg Marshall returns from Korea, his fiancée Linda expects to finally plan their wedding—but he's bound by a promise to his fallen best friend Jay to care for Jay's widow, Sharon Williams, a young British woman stranded alone after losing her parents years before. As Greg throws himself into helping Sharon adjust to life in America, Linda's understanding curdles into jealousy, and she begins to resent the war bride who seems to be stealing her fiancé's attention. Can Linda overcome her resentment, or will Sharon's genuine kindness and Greg's sense of duty drive a wedge between them?

When Gloria Frazier's boyfriend Chuck Bryson abandons her for a singer at the local inn, her heartbreak turns to bitterness—and she vows to hurt men the way she's been hurt. As Gloria spirals into reckless behavior that earns her a bad reputation around Pine Lake, she pushes away everyone who cares about her, including Jeff Gilbert, the innkeeper who's quietly harbored deeper feelings all along. "I Was Jilted" is a cautionary tale about what happens when wounded pride takes the place of healing.

Joan Carter has had it with her parents playing matchmaker, so she runs away from home to escape their constant parade of eligible suitors—only to be tracked down by Pete Daly, a private detective hired to bring her back. As they drive through the countryside, an unexpected spark ignites between them, but when Joan overhears Pete's phone call to her father, she realizes his affection was just a ploy to complete his job. A dangerous accident on the road forces them both to confront their true feelings, and Joan must decide whether what's grown between them is real or simply another carefully orchestrated arrangement.

Amy Hale is a driven dress shop owner who hires Kirk, an actor from a talent agency, to pose as her devoted husband for a week—she needs to convince her ailing grandfather that she's happily married, not a career woman like the ex-wife who left him years ago. As the charade unfolds at her grandfather's estate, Amy finds her heart pulling her in directions her ambition never accounted for, while Kirk's contempt for what he believes are her true motives cuts deeper than she's willing to admit.