Close Enough to Touch

Grace Barrett is on the run from an angry ex-boyfriend in Los Angeles. The last thing she planned to do in Jackson Hole, Wyo., was make friends. The plan was to hide out for a bit with her great-aunt, who rents out rooms, before making her way to Vancouver, but living across the hall from sexy cowboy Cole Rawlins complicates everything. Grace is a survivor, a teenage runaway who fought to get herself off the streets. She is suspicious of the town’s friendliness, mistrustful of Cole’s attempts to uncover every detail about her, and defensive about letting down her guard. Cole isn’t the only person trying to reach past Grace’s defenses, as her irascible Aunt Rayleen, cheerful bartender Jenny, and new boss Eve all have a thing or two to teach her about trust. The journey to healing and learning to accept love is gradual, and every step forward is something to cheer for. Agent: Amy Moore-Benson, AMB Literary Management. (Sept.)