Sweethearts #42

Sheppard Cole is a meticulous, level-headed success who prides himself on leaving nothing to chance—until he meets Sara Roper, a free-spirited dancer who embraces the bohemian life he's always avoided. Their unlikely attraction sparks when they meet on a television program, but their clashing values threaten to keep them apart. As Shep pursues Sara despite their fundamental differences, both discover that love might be the one gamble worth taking.

Linda has long admired Howard Sykes, a serious-minded construction man fresh from his Navy years, but when she finally gets his attention at her father's car showroom, his earnest manner keeps throwing her off balance. As they grow closer through a memorable dinner date, Howard's shyness and fear of making a fool of himself nearly cost him the chance to tell Linda what he really feels.

A young model living the glamorous high life in Monte Carlo and New York finds herself torn between the wealthy sophisticates who pursue her and Pete, a modest mechanic with real character—introduced through her sister Jean. When Pete unexpectedly reappears as a man on the verge of building something genuine, Vikki must decide whether the glittering world she's worked so hard to conquer is worth more than the honest future he's offering.

Ruth, a young woman pursuing her master's degree, camps out in the desert to study plant life—only to clash repeatedly with Clint Matlock, a mining engineer who insists the harsh landscape is no place for her. When Ruth proves her mettle by saving Matlock from a Gila monster, the two discover there's more between them than desert sand and stubbornness.