Romantic Secrets #20

Anne Welles has built a fortress around her heart since losing her fiancé Hal years ago, climbing to the top of her advertising firm by channeling her grief into ruthless ambition—but when she clashes with the easygoing Tony Abbot, she discovers that her steely control may be cracking. As Tony resigns and starts his own business, he returns with an unexpected proposition that forces Anne to confront what she's been running from.

A young woman in hand-me-down clothes catches the eye of a well-dressed gentleman at a restaurant, and they hit it off immediately—but she's anxious about what he'll think when he discovers she's just a bus-girl working in a cafeteria. When fate brings them together again in an unexpected place, she gets a chance to find out if their connection runs deeper than first impressions.

A pet shop clerk's quiet hopes bloom when a handsome regular customer asks her to lunch, but her heart sinks when she learns he's shopping for a gift for another woman—until he returns that evening with a surprising confession. Glenda discovers that first impressions in matters of the heart can be beautifully deceiving.

As general manager of the Prescott Company, May Reynolds commands respect from her staff—but when Bill Hayward arrives, her professional composure crumbles as she watches him fall for Anne Wylie, the receptionist. Desperate to eliminate her rival, May uses her authority to force Anne out, only to discover that Bill values integrity far more than ambition, and her jealousy has cost her everything. When fate finally brings a genuine connection into her life, May learns that love earned honestly matters far more than love pursued through manipulation.

When Ruth joins her new neighbors for an afternoon visit, she learns their husbands are lawyers and doctors—and finds herself too embarrassed to admit that Tim works as a sales representative for a calendar company. That evening, her growing shame about his job creates tension between them, prompting Ruth to interfere in ways she believes will improve their standing. As her meddling unfolds, a chance encounter reveals truths about the other families that force her to reconsider what really matters in a marriage.