Here to Stay

Can its determined inhabitants save an endangered country town? Three different writers tell the stories of the people of Mindalby, a vibrant community threatened with extinction when its cotton mill closes. The Start of Something New by Stacey Nash When crisis counsellor Morgan Harris returns to his home town of Mindalby after the town's cotton mill closes, he has a hard time breaking through the townsfolk's tough exterior and getting them to accept the help that he is offering. While in town, he reconnects with Hannah, the sister of his high school best friend. Hannah and Morgan are instantly attracted to each other, but Hannah is fighting battles of her own - trying to save the family farm from going under in the face of the mill's closure. Making Memories by Kerrie Paterson Callie was the IT manager at the Mindalby cotton mill for all of her adult working life, so when it closes down, she realises that she has let everything else slide - including her own dreams. Seizing the closure as a sign, she decides to open up a craft and quilting shop in town, pursuing her own interests and hobbies and taking a risk for the first time since her husband ran off with her best friend. Helping her every step of the way is Nathan, her best friend's ex-husband and the man that Callie could never have. Suddenly, Nate seems to be everywhere, sharing this adventure, offering her a hand. But Callie has been burned before. Is she able to learn to trust her heart again? A Reason to Stay by Linda Charles Rachael, a successful lawyer in Sydney, returns to her foster family and the only place that ever felt like home: Mindalby, to help with the failing family business, the town's bakery. With the cotton mill's closure, all businesses are struggling, and it looks like the only option is to close up the bakery and hope to sell. But when Rachael returns, she realises that her skills give her other options: refreshing and revitalising the bakery and a chance to rekindle her love of baking. Irishman, Mike O'Malley is a staying kind of man, looking to settle down in Mindalby with a woman who loves the wild country and wants to get involved in the community. Rachael is not that girl, but the attraction is hard to deny.