Heart Throbs #13

Paula Kern has been dating Jeff Stevens since college, but her dreams of marrying a wealthy man of prominence keep her from committing to him, despite his repeated proposals over the years. As Jeff works his way up in law and continues to express his devotion, Paula finds herself torn between the secure affection he offers and the glamorous future she's always imagined—until circumstances force her to confront what she really wants.

Jane Forester is a gifted tennis player content with casual matches against Bill Gaines until a famous coach, Wynn Blair, spots her talent and offers to train her for the national championship circuit—launching her into a whirlwind of matches, travel, and growing feelings for her charismatic mentor. As Jane's devotion to Wynn deepens and success piles up, she discovers the painful truth about his real intentions, forcing her to reckon with what she truly wants and who she can trust. With Bill unexpectedly back in her life just before the championship finals, Jane faces a choice that will reshape everything she's worked for.

Lenore Guthrie grew up in the slums where her father died in a botched robbery, leaving her with a deep hatred of cops—until she meets the charming Dan Scott at a community dance and falls hard for him. When Dan reveals he's a plainclothes officer investigating gang activity in her neighborhood, Lenore's old wounds resurface and she pushes him away, convinced she can't be with a cop. But when Blinky warns her that Dan's life is in danger from the very criminals he's pursuing, Lenore must confront whether her past resentment is worth losing the man she loves.

Kit has given Gordy Rhodes five years of patience and encouragement while he chases one doomed scheme after another—mail-order perfume, plastic tablecloths, baby laundries—but when yet another "big deal" crumbles, she finally breaks and ends their engagement. Desperate to prove himself worthy, Gordy takes a steady job at Baker's, and Kit realizes too late that a life of security will drain away the very spirit that made her love him in the first place. Now Kit must decide what matters more: the stability she thought she wanted, or the dreamer she can't live without.