Sweethearts #97

Fran Eiler has spent her life on the move with traveling bands and theater troupes, but when she meets Doug Raydon at a country resort, she finds herself drawn into a life she never expected—one rooted in one place, with one person. As weeks pass and their connection deepens, Fran must wrestle with the pull of her restless heart against the promise of something she's never allowed herself to want.

A small-town girl named Terry gets swept off her feet by the charming Mitch Corbin, a sophisticated stranger who introduces her to a world of glamour and excitement—only to reveal that he runs a lonely hearts scheme where he recruits "smart girls" to romance unsuspecting clients and fleece them of their money. As Terry becomes increasingly skilled at the con, she finds herself tangled between her loyalty to Mitch, the growing guilt over her victims, and an unexpected connection with one of his newest marks that threatens to upend everything.

When Judith returns to Jim at the garage, desperate to rekindle their romance, she discovers he's grown close to Lydia, a coworker—so she manipulates her way into a job at the same location to push the other woman out of the picture. As Judith schemes and maneuvers to win Jim back, a stormy night and a roadside rescue seem to be turning the tide in her favor, but her bold moves may have consequences she didn't anticipate. This tale of jealousy and miscalculation shows how far one woman will go when love becomes less about devotion and more about winning at any cost.